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r/iA  n-tCOC 


What  Horse  for  the 
Cavalry  ? 

by 
SPENCER   BORDEN 

Many  illustrations  from  fotografs 


FALL     RIVER,    MASSACHUSETTS 

J.    H.    Franklin     Company 

19  12 


U 


I 


4l-' 


Copyright,    1912,  by 

Spencer  Borden 

Published,  January,   1912 


All  righis  reservefJ , 

inci iidiiio  that  of  translaiiDii  into 

forei i<ii    I  mi  i;  1 1  a  i)  c s . 

includiiiij  the  Sco iidiiutridii 


CONTENTS 

I'AGE 

Preface  r I. 

CHAPTER 

I.     What  Horse  for  the  Cavcilry  ?■ 1 

II.      Horses  in  Holland 12 

III.  (jcrtnan  Horses — Northern  Germany 17 

IV.  German    Horses — Wnrtembnrgh ol 

V.      Austrian   Horses — The  Lippizans 4-1 

VI.      Hungarian  Horses — The  home  of  the  Hussars  oil 

VII.      Hungarian   Government  Studs  —  Alezohegyes  OS 

VIII.      Hungarian  Government  Studs — Babolna 7'.* 

IX.      Hungarian  Government  wStuds,  Kisber,  Fogaras  !I5 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Mehemet  AH.    (from  an  oil  painting)  see  p.  '6i-  ■  ■  Frojitispiece 

PAGE 

Krakatoa — half  bred  stallion,  Le  Pin,  (France) G 

Amraqui — pure  Barb.  Algeria,  (France) 7 

Nelson  —  Anglo -Arab,    Le     Pin,    (France)    1st     prize 

Paris,   1900 7 

Freibeuter,   (German) 10 

Boukaretz.     Orlofif  Cavalry  type  (Russia) 10 

Jachima  Priatny.      Orloff  Cavalry  type  (Russia) 11 

Lovky.   Orloff  trotter  (Russia)   14 

Donald.     Morgan  (  America  )    1st    prize  Vermont  State 

Fair  1910 15 

Private   race  course  Waldfried,  Herr  von   Friscbing  in 

foreground 21 

Festino 24 

Fels 25 

Furor 26 

Herr  von  Frisching,  on  his  half  bred  hack 28 

His   Excellency  Baron  von   Geyr-Schvveppenburg,    and 

Jeune  Elegante 33 

Sven  Hadin  36 

Denier  Kaya 37 

Arab  brood  mares  at  Scharnhausen 38  and  39 

Yearling  Arab  filly  at  Scharnhausen 40 

Lippizan  mares  at  drinking  pool 43 

Lippizan  colts  on   stony  pasture,   Karst    Highlands 44 

Hassak.     Sheep-nosed  stallion  from  Kladrub 48 

Coronation    Coach    of    Austrian     Emperor     drawn    by 

8  Kladrubs 49 

Favory  Ancona  II,  at  trot  and  piaffer 53 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS- Gv///;/;/.7/ 

PAGE 

Favory  Ancona  II,    rearing    to    balance,   and    spring  in 

capriole  54 

Favory  Ancona  II,  high   levate 55 

B'avory  Ancona  I,  deep  levate 5G 

Daumont  of  Emperor,  drawn  by  Lippizans 5? 

Keheilan.    Pure  Arab.    (Hungary),    ist  prize  Paris,  1900  58 

Half-bred  Arab,  son   of  Keheilan  (Hungary)    01 

Sherifa      Pure     Arab.    Unbeaten      winner  of    9    races, 

in   1911   05 

Mares  at  pasture,  Mezohegyes  71 

Czikos     (horse    herders)    leaving    to    attend    mares    at 

pasture     Mezohegyes 72 

A  typical  Nonius  stallion    at    Mezohegyes 75 

A  typical  Gidran  stallion  at  Mezohegyes 70 

Shagya    SO 

ShagyaXV.,  and  Col.   Fadlallah   el  Hedad SI 

Shagya    XVIII.  82 

Keheilan    Raschid  sire  of   Sherifa,   and     Col     Fadlallah 

el    Hedad 82 

Half-bred    Arab  mares   harnessed   for  drive    to   Kisber 

(see  p.    05)  83 

Yussuf.    Pure  Arab     (Hungary)  Gold  Medal,  Paris  1878  85 

Seglawy     Bagdadi  87 

Mares  on  pasture,  Babolna —     89 

A  "flea  bitten"    pure  Arab  mare 91 

Right   side   of   Shagya  XVIII.,    showing     his   "bloody 

flank"    .' '.  92 

Keheilan    III. 92 

Young  O-Beyan  (Hungary)  pure  Arab  of    Babolna 93 

Buona   Vista 97 

Slieve    Gallion 98 

Stallion  Stables    at  Kisber 99 

Paddocks  and  boxes  of  mares  and  foals,  Kisber  100 

Hungarian  working  oxen    at  Babolna,  taking  noon  rest  100 


PREFACE 


Why  should  this  book  be  written? 

Because  it  is  hoped  it  may  call  attention  tf)  a  condition 
of  attairs  in  which  every  American  citizen  ought  to  l)e  in- 
terested. 

I'resident  McKinley  told  the  writer  cjf  these  lines  that  at 
the  time  when  the  destruction  of  the  Maine  made  it  certain 
to  his  mind  tliat  the  United  States  must  ha\'e  a  war  with 
Spain,  there  were  in  the  American  army  only  about  20,000 
men.  there  were  less  than  15  rounds  of  ammunition  for  each 
gun  of  the  defenses  of  New  York  harbor — that  city  being 
as  w'ell  protected  as  any — and  all  other  supplies  for  carry- 
ing on  a  war  were  equally  non-existent. 

Were  we  to  become  involved  with  any  other  i)owcr  at 
tlie  present  time,  the  army  of  tlie  United  States  knows  not 
wdiere  to  find  horses  for  its  mounted  service,  no  matter 
what  it  should  be  willing  to  pay. 

Americans  are  optimists. 

They  need  not  live  in  a  fool's  paradise. 

Facts  are  available  wdiich  should  cause  the  nation  to 
remedy  existing  conditions,  or  at  least  to  make  some  move- 
ment toward  finding  a  remedy. 

The  statistics  of  the  census  of  1910  have  been  quoted 
against  those  wdio  would  rouse  our  Government  to  action 
on  this  important  matter. 

[     ^-     ] 


[  "  ] 

They  tell  us  that  the  United  States  possesses  more 
horses  than  any  country  in  the  world  excepting  Russia. 

The  figures  given  are  24,016,024  horses  in  1910,  as 
against  21,625,800  in  1900,  an  increase  of  11^  per  cent. 

Mr.  Rommel,  Chief  of  the  Animal  Industry  Division 
of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  writing  for  the 
Journal  of  the  U.  S.  Cavalry  Association  for  November, 
1911,  analyses  these  census  figures  in  a  manner  to  prove 
that  these  great  numbers  of  horses  do  not  represent  ani- 
mals available  for  the  army. 

He  tells  us  that  "Iowa  is  the  leading  horse  producing 
State  in  the  Union."  Yet  he  shows  that  in  Iowa  over  80 
per  cent,  of  the  stallions  are  of  draft  horse  breeds,  less  than 
20  per  cent,  of  the  lighter  type.  Two-thirds  of  this  20  per 
cent,  are  standard  bred  trotters,  and  part  of  the  remainder 
are  Shetland  ponies.  Does  anyone  see  a  possible  outlook 
for  cavalry  remounts  in  Iowa? 

in  four  other  great  horse  breeding  States  the  fignre>=> 
are  as  follows : 

Pennsylvania  Wisconsin      Minnesota       Kansas 
Per  Cent.        Per  Cent.        Per  Cent.    Per  Cent. 

Light  types   47.22  36.20  17.21  26.86 

Ponies    0.31  0.34  0.20  0.34 

Draft    52.47  63.46  85.58  72.80 

These  proportions  are  for  what  Mr.  Rommel  calls 
"pure  bred"  animals,  because  they  are  of  some  recognized 
breed  and  registered  in  some  stud  book.  Thev  represent 
one-third  the  horses  of  the  States  mentioned ;  the  other 
two-thirds  are  hopeless  mongrels,  and  outside  any  chance 
of  being  a  possible  reserve  supply  for  the  army. 

We  see  that  of  the  remaining  one-third  about  70  per 
cent,  are  draft  animals  and  ponies.  The  other  30  per  cent., 
Mr.  Rommel  admits,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  to  be  possi- 
ble sources  of  remounts,  say  10  per  cent,  of  the  horses  in 
these  States,  (30  per  cent,  of  one-third). 

But  are  they?  Let  us  analyze  the  so-called  light  types 
in  one  of  these  four  States,  Pennsylvania. 


[    IH-    ] 

The  following-  shows  the  breeding  of  the  306  stallions 
so  classed : 

Standard  Bred  Trotters   211 

German  Coach  Horses  23 

Hackneys    23 

French  Coach    19 

Morgan    15 

American  Saddle  Horses   5 

Thoroughbreds    5 

Cleveland   Bay    3 

Orlofif    1 

Yorkshire   Coach    1 

306 

Of  this  nunil)er  the  only  possible  sires  of  horses  fit  for 
cavalry  remounts  would  be 

15  Morgans. 
5  American  Saddle  bred, 
5  Thoroughbred, 
1  Orlofif. 

Total,  26 

To  recapitulate:  The  licensed  stallions  in  Pennsylva- 
nia in  1908  num])ered  1986.  Of  these,  1308  were  hopeless 
mongrels  not  recognized  by  any  stud  book,  340  were  draft 
horses,  306  lighter  type ;  and  of  these  306.  not  more  than 
26 — one  horse  in  seventy-five  of  the  licensed  stallions  in 
the  State — could  by  any  stretch  of  the  imagination  be  con- 
sidered a  probable  sire  of  a  cavalry  horse. 

The  City  of  New  York,  for  the  supply  of  horses  of  its 
mounted  police,  has  ordered  one  of  the  great  horse  supply 
companies,  whose  buyers  are  scattered  through  the  entire 
country,  to  buy,  and  ship  to  the  metropolis,  every  horse 
that  they  may  find  that  can  fill  the  bill  of  particulars  for 
police  service.  In  1910  only  150  such  horses  came  to  New 
York,  and  of  that  number,  75  were  accepted  and  paid  for 
at  $372.50  each.  These  were  green  horses,  afterwards  to 
undergo  training  at  the  police  training  stables,  till  fit  for 
their  duties. 


[    .V      J 

The  breeding-  l)iireau  of  the  Jockey  Club,  recoo^nizing 
the  importance  of  the  matter  undei:  discussion,  have  placed 
thoroughbred  stallions  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
mostly  in  New  York  State,  for  use  of  persons  owning  suita- 
ble mares,  at  moderate  service  fees. 

These  averaged  41  in  number  for  the  5  years  1906  to 
1910  inclusive.  In  the  same  5  years  the  average  number  of 
mares  bred  to  them  was  790  annually.  The  resulting  foals 
in  4  years  1907  to  1910  inclusive  (reports  for  1911  are  not 
yet  received)  was  lolG.  As  some  mares  may  have  been 
sold  and  their  offspring  not  accounted  for,  we  should  add 
something  to  this  number,  but  the  average  return  from  this 
public  spirited  action  of  the  Jockey  Club  is  less  than  400 
per  annum,  less  than  one-eighth  the  horses  needed  vearlv 
1)y  the  army  on  a  peace  footing,  even  were  all  of  tliem  se- 
cured. Where  are  the  other  seven-eighths  to  be  found? 
Nor  is  this  small  fractional  supply  probable  in  the  future, 
as  the  breeding  of  thoroughbreds  by  the  members  of  the 
Jockey  Club  is  being  rapidly  curtailed  since  the  decrees 
against  race  track  gambling,  studs  being  broken  up,  racing 
stables  being  sent  abroad.  Every  month  sees  numbers  of 
our  best  thoroughbreds  being  shipped  to  Europe  or  tn 
South  America.  This  diminution  of  horse  breeding  will 
not  be  lessened  in  the  future,  unless  something  radical  is 
done  to  check  it. 

Those  who  love  horses  resent  the  talk  of  the  people 
who  manufacture  automobiles  about  a  "horseless  age." 
P)Ut  is  it  not  nearly  within  sight?  The  number  of  auto- 
mobiles manufactured  and  sold  in  the  United  States  in  the 
last  five  years  is  as  follows : 

1907 50,000 

1908 60,000 

1909 95,000 

1910 175,000 

1911 190,000 

Total 570,000 


[    V.    ] 

These  figures  are  on  the  authority  of  ]\Ir.  JuHan 
Chase,  editor  of  Motor,  the  Magazine  of  Motoring.  They 
are  the  nearest  attainable  to  accuracy,  though  not  pretend- 
ing to  be  absolutely  exact. 

Mr.  Chase  adds— in  a  letter  dated  December  20.  1911— 
"It  is  estimated  that  the  output  of  the  trade  in  1912  will  be 
"something  in  excess  of  200,000  cars,  which  at  an  average 
"retail  price  of  $1,200,  would  have  a  total  valuation  of 
"$240,000,000." 

Other  authorities  place  the  estimate  for  1912  still 
higher.  As  one  company  has  contracted  for  75,000  auti;- 
mt)l)iles  for  delivery  within  the  year,  the  figure  above  writ- 
ten would  seem  very  conservative. 

As  each  automobile  certainly  replaces  two  horses,  and 
probably  four,  is  it  any  wonder  that  horses  other  than 
draft  animals  have  become  a  duninishing  supply? 

The  same  census  figures  that  showed  an  increase  in 
number  of  horses  from  1900  to  1910  of  11^^  per  cent.,  tell 
us  that  prices  of  horses  have  increased  137j^  per  cent. 
Does  not  this  prove  that  the  supi)l}-  has  not  kept  pace  with 
the  demand? 

Now,  a  supply  of  horses  cannot  1)e  met  b}'  any  ofifhand 
act  of  the  will.  We  cannot  say  "Let  there  be  horses!"  and 
the  horses  appear. 

Automobiles  can  l)e  made  in  a  week.  A  l)attleship 
takes  two  or  three  years.  A  ho,rse  cannot  be  bred  and 
reared  and  trained  so  as  to  be  serviceable  tor  hard  work, 
in  less  than  6  years,  one  while  the  mare  carries  him. 
three  while  he  grows  to  an  age  wdiere  hi*  training  can 
begin,  two  for  him  to  mature  and  complete  his  education. 
We  cannot  "go  shopping"  for  horses  because  we  have 
plentv  of  money.  Their  supply  must  be  the  result  of  fore- 
thought and  care. 

It  is  time  Americans  wakened  to  the  true  conditions. 
With  the  facilities  and  resources  at  our  command  this 
countrv  should  never    have  to  seek    a  horse  supply  for    its 


[  vr.  ] 

army  outside  its  own  borders,  as  would  be  necessary  in 
case  of  war  within  the  next  ten  years. 

Further,  our  position  is  unique  in  that  we  have  no  pug- 
nacious neighbors,  and  America  is  good  friends  with  many 
nations,  all  of  whom  may  fight  one  another  at  any  time. 
They  would  be  glad  to  buy  horses  of  us  if  we  had  them,  as 
we  sold  them  to  England  at  the  time  of  the  Boer  war.  We 
could  not  do  that  to-day. 

It  may  happen  that  some  suggestion  will  be  found  in 
the  observations  recorded  in  the  following  pages,  which 
will  arouse  interest  in  this  important  problem,  and  help  in 
Its  solution. 


CHAPTER  I. 
What  Horsk  for  the  Cavalry  ? 

For  a  score  of  years  at  least,  the  question  above  pre- 
sented, has  profoundly  agitated  the  military  men  of  many 
lands.  As  early  as  1850  the  peace  establishment  of  the 
army  of  France  had  49,408  horses,  and  required  an  annual 
supply  of  7,000  animals  for  remounts.  The  Prussian  army 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1870  had  73,801  horses,  calling 
for  8,000  fresh  animals  every  year.  \\'hen  war  was  declared 
in  that  year  the  numbers  were  quadrupled.  The  losses 
caused  by  the  war  were  enormous.  The  French  acknowl- 
edge that  their  loss  was  150,000,  while  one  German  writer 
stated  the  Prussian  loss  at  more  than  one  million,  half  a 
million  by  death,  the  remainder  disabled  by  sickness  or 
other  causes. 

Such  hgures  could  not  fail  to  arouse  the  attention  of 
thoughtful  statesmen  and  cause  them  to  seek  means  for  as- 
suring supplies  of  horses  in  time  of  war.  not  depending  on 
neighbors  who  might  be  unable  or  unwilling  to  meet  the 
need  in  case  of  a  sudden  declaration  of  hostilities. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  nearly  all  European  nations  have 
some  scheme  of  government  encouragement  for  horse 
breeding  to  insure  a  good  supply  of  horses  for  use  of  the 
Army.  Great  Britain  alone  has  been  negligent  in  this 
matter,  and  has  suffered  the  penalty.  British  ofihcers  have 
complained  bitterly  of  the  neglect,  but  to  no  purpose.  A 
sample  of  the  protests  may  be  found  in  a  letter  to  the  Daily 
Mail  of  September  26th,  1911.  from  the  Earl  of  Erroll.  The 
letter  is  too  long  for  reproduction  in  its  entirety  at  this 
place,  but  the  following  extracts  will  show  its  trend. 
When  we  review  certain  experiences  of  the  I'ritish  Army 
a  little  later,  it  will  seem  strange  that  the  warning  should 
be  needed.     The  writer  says : 

[     1      ] 


[  '^  ] 

"Sir: — With  reference  to  an  article  in  your  issue  of 
September  22  on  an  'Army  AX'itliout  Morses.'  I  should  like 
to  make  a  few  remarks,  as  it  is  a  subject  that  I  have  on  sev- 
eral occasions  brought  before  the  House  of  Lords. 

"What  your  correspondent  says  as  to  the  foreign  pur- 
chaser being-  the  best  friend  to  the  horse  breeder  is  true,  and 
I  agree  that  he  should  be  encouraged,  as  without  him  breed- 
ers would  have  but  a  poor  market.  Ydur  correspondent,  how- 
ever, goes  on  to  say:  'He  (i.  e.,  the  foreigner)  leaves  good 
money  behind  him.'  Yes.  but  he  does  not  leave  mau}^  good 
horses,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  our  cavalry  is  worse  mount- 
ed than  any  other  in  Europe.  The  foreigner  gives  more 
money  and  he  l)uys  at  three  years  old.  whereas  our  Army 
authorities  do  net  Imy  till  four  and  only  get  what  the  for- 
eigner leaves." 

-i>  't'  'K  '?•  -i» 

"The  situation  is  a  very  serious  one.  I  do  not  think 
the  country  realizes  how  serious.  In  case  of  an  European 
war  the  Coutinental  market  would  probably  be  closed  to 
us,  and  we  should  be  thrown  back  on  our  own  resources,'' 
etc.,  etc..  etc. 

The  noble  Earl  ends  by  pointing  out  the  tremendous 
loss  of  horses  in  actual  warfare  and  the  certainty  that  the 
loss  could  not  be  made  good. 

He  could  indeed  have  pointed  to  very  recent  experi- 
ences of  the  IWMtish  Army,  and  warned  the  nation — "Lest 
we  forget." 

The  cost  to  England  of  horses  for  the  war  in  the  Sou- 
dan, and  still  more  for  the  Uoer  War,  would  many  times 
over  have  established  such  studs  as  other  naticjus  maintain, 
and  have  paid  their  expenses  for  a  generation.  The  cost  of 
a  single  Dreadnaught  would  have  been  sufhcient  many 
times  over.  The  density  of  a  nation  of  business  men  like 
the  Englisli,  in  this  respect,  is  hard  to  understand.  In  a 
little  war,  like  that   for  the  relief  of  Khartoum,  the  horses 


[     3     ] 

taken  to  Egypt  pr(n'e(l  utterly  worthless.  Stevens,  in  his 
book — A\'ith  Kitchener  to  Khartoum — tells  us  "the  big"  Eng- 
lish cavalry  horses  had  to  be  left  in  Cairo,"  while  the  Egyp- 
tian cavalry,  mounted  on  Arabs  and  Arab  crosses,  were 
always  ready  for  service.  Col.  Biddulph  of  the  XlXth 
Dragoons  gives  a  full  account  of  that  experience.  His  men 
after  leaving"  their  worthless  long-legged  English  thorough- 
I)reds,  were  mounted  on  Syrian  Arabs  not  more  than  14.2 
in  height,  and  though  these  little  horses  carried  full 
weights  of  18  to  20  stone  (2r)2  to  280  pounds),  they  went 
through  a  nine  months'  cam])aig"n  with  a  loss  of  only 
about  12%. 

"^'et  the  I'ritisli  Wrv  Office  failed  to  learn  the  lesson, 
and  the  Boer  War  found  them  no  better  prepared.  Three 
hundred  and  nine  thousand  (309,000)  horses  were  sent  to 
South  Africa  in  the  first  six  months  of  that  war.  to  the  end 
of  January.  1002.  The  animals  proved  utterly  worthless, 
they  landed  in  l)a(l  condition,  and  died  like  flies  after  reach- 
ing their  destination.  E,ngland  then  turned  to  Australia 
and  New  South  A\^ales,  but  these  colonies  absolutely  failed 
them,  being  able  to  send  only  20,000,  and  thev  were  unsat- 
isfactory. The  Australian  ])ress  of  March  4,  1902,  pub- 
lished dispatches  from  Lord  Kitchener  that  the  horses  sent 
him  were  "badly  selected  ;"  and  Col.  Birkbeck.  Inspector  of 
Remounts  at  Capetown,  characterized  them  as  "sadly  dis- 
appointing." 

Asked  what  he  did  \vant,  I^ord  Kitchener  wired  the 
Queensland  Government :  "English  horses  are  still  too 
"heavy.  A  Avell  bred  polo  pony  is  the  ideal  required  for  all 
"mounted  troops  who  carr\-  little  on  the  saddle." 

This  was  no  new  information  for  the  English.  To 
quote  Stevens  again,  remarking  on  the  little  horses  used  in 
the  Khartoum  expedition :  "It  is  realh^  wonderful  what  the 
"Arab  pony  will  do."  He  says,  they  "were  in  the  field  all 
"day  on  September  1   from  daybreak  on    August    31,    not 


[     4     ] 

"coming;'  in  until  o  p.  m.  September  2,  they  were  heavily 
"eng-ag'ed  against  the  dervishes  for  several  hours,  then  ad- 
"vanced  on  Omdurman,  and  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  the 
'"Khalifa."  Compare  this  with  the  statement  in  the  Wind- 
sor Magazine  for  January,  li)08,  speaking  of  the  English 
horses  in  South  Africa:  "Many  a  victory  was  not  followed 
"up  because  the  horses  could  not  be  called  upon  for  further 
"exertion,  which  the  Boers  were  able  to  get  out  of  their 
"horses." 

Dewet,  the  Boer  general,  never  had  but  2,700  men 
under  his  command.  They  were  mounted  on  small  horses, 
nearer  14  hands  high  than  15,  and  for  two  years  they  cut 
rings  around  the  English  army.  These  had  unlimited  re- 
sources of  men  and  supplies.  Yet  Dewet  could  move  long 
distances  on  his  ponies,  strike  and  get  away,  without  giving 
the  British  a  chance  for  concentration.  His  horses  could 
live  where  the  big  English  horses  would  starve,  could  keep 
sound  where  the  others  were  lame  and  ailing,  could  bear 
fatigue  that  completely  knocked  out  the  long-legged  ones. 
It  was  a  humiliating  fact  ft)r  the  English,  that  for  months 
the  Boers  lived  on  commissary  supplies  sent  6,000  miles  for 
the  British  troops,  were  clothed  in  uniforms  sent  the  same 
distance  to  protect  the  sons  of  Al1)ion  from  the  elements, 
shot  them  with  their  own  ammunition  and  guns.  Every- 
thing the  Boers  had  was  captured  from  their  enemies. 
When,  at  last,  the  War  Office  listened  to  Eord  Kitchener, 
the  horses  that  finally  proved  of  value  to  liis  army,  were 
tlie  100,000  cow  ponies,  bought  by  men  sent  from  England 
to  the  plains  and  ranches  of  the  western  United  States. 

In  Erance  the  principal  lesson  to  be  learned  would  l)e 
how  to  avoid  the  mistakes  they  have  made  and  are  making. 
Idle  degeneracy  of  Erench  cavalry  horses  in  the  last 
decade  is  a  source  of  grave  anxiety  to  the  officers  of  the 
mounted  service.  Its  causes  were  pointed  out  in  a  book 
written  by  Viscomte  Martin  Du  Nord,  a  retired  Commander 
in  the  remount  service,  published  in  1910.  Its  title  is 
"L'Elevage    Du    Cheval    De    Cavalerie,    Son    present — Son 


[  '">  ] 

avenir — La  crise."  The  preface  of  Du  N^ord's  book  was 
written  l)v  the  Alarqiiis  De  Alauleon,  a  retired  cavah"v 
officer.  He  says  of  Du  Nord  :  "^^^lile  he  was  a  member 
"of  the  'Grande  Muette'  (those  who  must  be  silent)  "Com- 
"mander  Du  Xord  said  nothing'.  lie  served  his  C(^untrv. 
"assisting"  in  the  raising;'  of  cavah'\'  liorses  1)v  choosing  the 
"best  among  those  brought  l)efore  him.  Tie  now  uses  the 
"time  of  his  retirement  !:>}'  raising  liis  voice,  justly  he 
"believes,  so  rendering  even  better  serxice  to  his  country, 
"pointing  out  the  weak  places  in  its  armor  to  an  adminis- 
"tration  wliose  e\cry  \-agar\'  lie  knows,  bringing  to  the  task 
"bitter  but  just  criticisms." 

Briefly  stated,  the  causes  of  the  "crisis"  is  that  politics 
has  invaded  the  Administration  Des  llaras.  Under  this 
malign  influence,  de])uties  representing  agricultural  dis- 
tricts that  ])roduce  large  numbers  of  draft  horses  for  export, 
have  compelled  the  Horse  Breeding  Dej^artment  to  buy 
draft  stallions,  whose  use  has  graduall}-  changed  for  tlie 
worse  the  entire  type  of  horses  bred  in  b^rance.  Algeria, 
where  the  government  stallions  are  Arabs  or  Barbs,  and 
the  South  and  Southwestern  Departments  of  iM-ance, 
where  oriental  1)lood  still  dominates,  ha\e  not  sufifered  in 
the  same  wa}-  and  t(^  the  same  extent  as  has  become  mani- 
fest in  the  north.  Nevertheless,  the  breeding  of  cavalrx- 
horses  in  h'rance  is  now  in  worse  state  than  it  has  l)een  for 
a  hundred  years. 

Such  a  condition  is  deploral)le  ;  for  up  to  tlie  end  of  the 
XlXth  century  [^-ance  was  in  the  forefront  with  its  gov- 
ernment breeding  studs.  Established  as  earlv  as  1707. 
abolished  by  the  revolutionary  National  Assend)lv  in  17f)0, 
re-established  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte  in  1806,  the  national 
studs  of  b^rance  have  well  been  a  source  of  pride  to  Frencii- 
men.  Their  present  condition  causes  thoughtful  men  to 
mourn. 

Le  Pin  haras,  in  the  Department  of  Orne,  built  in  the 
reign  of  Louis  Xl\',  is  provided  with  buildings  worthv  of 
the    great    Ducal    estates    of    England.     At    one    time    the 


[     G     ] 

French  Government  kept  at  Le  Pin,  no  less  than  300  stal- 
lions. That  some  good  ones  were  there  within  our  own 
time,  may  be  seen  by  looking  at  the  fotografs  of  certain 
animals  from  this  stud  that  were  shown  at  the  Paris  Con- 
cours  Hippique  of  1900,  published  herewith.  Pompadour 
stud,  in  the  Department  of  Correse,  second  only  in  import- 
ance to  Le  Pin,  keeps  both  mares  and  stallions,  and  is  the 
only  stud  where  horses  are  bred  by  the  Government. 

Let  us  hope  that  the  warning-  voices  of  such  men  as 
Viscomte  Du  Nord  may  be  heard  before  it  is  too  late,  and 
France  become  again  what  it  has  been,  famous  not  only 
for  the  numl:»er  but  for  the  quality  uf  its  horses. 


KRAKATOA— half  bred  stallion,  Le  Pin,  (France) 


[  1  ] 


AMRAQUl— pure  Barb,  Algeria,  (France) 


NELSON— Anglo-Arab,  Le  Pin,  (France)  1st  prize  Paris,  I'JUO 


[  «  ] 

The  army  of  the  United  States  has  in  times  of  peace 
from  22,000  to  25,000  horses,  reqnirin^-  an  annual  purchase 
of  al)out  2,600  to  keep  up  its  efficiency-  There  is  no  system 
in  our  own  country  to  provide  for  this  supply,  and  the 
Quartermaster  General  finds  difficulty  in  securing  even  that 
small  nu.mber,  of  suitable  quality,  and  at  reasonable  price. 

It  has,  therefore,  come  to  be  very  important  to 
know  how  a  supply  of  horses  for  our  army  can  best  be 
insured.  The  change  of  street  car  lines  from  horse  drawn 
to  electrically  driven,  has  destroyed  the  market  for  cheap 
horses.  The  l)reeding  of  those  of  better  class  has  been 
diminished  l)v  the  wholesale  substitution  of  automol)iles 
for  pleasure  dri\ing.  Horses  never  were  so  high  in  the 
United  States  as  they  are  to-day,  ]:>y  the  inevitable  work- 
ing of  the  law  of  su]:)])ly  and  demand. 

Two  questions,  therefore,  present  themselves.  First : 
Shall  the  Government  of  the  United  States  encourage  the 
breeding  of  horses  suitable  for  the  army,  even  making  a 
beginning  of  breeding  for  its  own  needs?  Secondly:  If 
an  enterprise  of  this  kind  is  started,  what  type  of  horses 
shall  l)e  bred? 

1m  n-  man}-  years  the  writer  has  been  interested  in 
horses,  has  studied  them,  and  l)red  them  in  a  modest  way. 
For  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  judged  horses  from  Maine 
and  \'ermont  to  Georgia,  from  Boston  and  Madison  Square 
(jarden  to  the  Missouri  river.  Thousands  of  horses  have 
passed  before  him  for  criticism  and  award  in  that  time. 
It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  when  taking  a  vacation  in 
Europe  during  the  stunmer  of  Ii)ll,  he  should  \isit  some  of 
the  important  studs,  both  private  and  (ioxernmental,  seek- 
ing to  hnd  out  what  is  being  done  by  other  nations  towards 
producing  horses  for  the  different  armies,  and  to  know  the 
types  most  desired.  The  in\estigation  was  too  short  to 
cover  all  the  ground,  though  it  is  hoped  the  reader  of  his 
experiences  may  find  some  information  has  been  gathered. 


[     9     ] 

Bearing-  letters  from  the  Chief  of  Staff  to  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  United  States  in  the  dift'erent  countries,  and 
from  the  State  Department  to  its  Diplomatic  and  Consular 
representatives,  every  facility  for  ascertaining  facts  was 
given  liy  officers  and  individuals  of  the  dift'erent  Govern- 
ments. In  France,  only,  the  permission  sought  to  visit  the 
(Government  breeding  studs — Le  Pin,  where  are  now  the 
half-bred  Xormands,  I'ompadour,  where  are  the  Arabs  and 
Anglo-Arabs,  Lamballe,  where  are  the  Bretons — was  not  re- 
ceived in  time  to  be  of  use.  Saumur,  the  cavalry  school, 
also,  was  closed  during  the  summer.  It,  therefore,  hap- 
pened that  information  of  I'rench  methods  had  to  be  sought 
in  reports  of  legislative  committees  which  have  investigated 
the  studs  within  the  last  five  years,  under  the  lash  of  such 
criticisms  as  that  of  Du  Nord.  The  deterioration  of 
French  horses  was  very  noticeal)le,  liowever,  in  those  seen 
mounted  l)y  French  soldiers  of  the  Republic,  when  com- 
pared with  those  the  writer  remembers  well  under  the 
regime  of  Napoleon  111.  With  the  exception  noted,  the 
investigation  of  horse  l)reeding  in  the  countries  visited  was 
pretty  thorough.  Horses  were  shown,  opinions  freely  ex- 
pressed, records  of  systems  followed  and  results  attained 
opened  for  inspection. 

Time  was  not  at  command  to  visit  the  great  studs  in 
East  Prussia,  Poland,  or  Russia,  where  much  \aluable  in- 
formation might  be  had.  Nor  was  the  visit  prolonged  into 
Italy,  where  UKist  intelligent  methods  are  said  to  obtain, 
Italian  officers  being  recognized  as  among  the  best  horse- 
men in  Europe.  The  horseman's  vacation,  beginning  in 
Holland,  really  took  nearly  a  straight  line,  and  ended  in 
Hungary.  It  is  hoped  that  some  of  the  things  seen,  told  in 
a  modest  story,  may  enable  those  charged  with  an  answer 
to  the  question — ^^^lat  Horse  for  the  Cavalry — to  at  least 
have  new  facts  that  will  ht\\)  in  the  solution  of  the  problem. 


[    10   ] 


FREIBEUTER,  (German) 


BOUKARETZ.     Orloff  Cavalry  type  (Russia) 


[  11  ] 


JACHIMA  PRIATXY.     Orloff  Cavalry  type  (Russia) 


CHAPTER  II. 

Horses  in  Holland. 

.  Hie  horses  of  Holland  would  seem  almost  a  net^ligible 
proposition  to  the  horse  men  of  other  countries.  In  a  land 
where  the  principal  means  of  communication  is  by  water- 
ways, one  thinks  of  the  cavalry  as  "horse  marines." 

Even  in  the  large  cities,  farmers'  produce,  the  fuel  that 
is  used,  the  merchants  stock  in  trade,  is  conveyed  by  canals 
to  the  doors  of  the  people.  In  the  country  the  dykes  have 
roads  upon  them,  lined  in  many  parts  by  tine  trees;  but 
l)eyond  the  trees  on  each  side  lies  a  canal,  and  horse  travel 
is  confined  to  the  top  of  the  dykes.  Horses,  indeed,  are 
used  in  raking"  and  gathering  the  hay  ;  but  the  grass  of  the 
polders  is  mow^ed  by  hand.  The  horse  is  used  only  to 
move  it  from  place  to  place,  either  on  a  dra}^  or  in  one  of 
the  queer  wagons  used  by  the  Dutch,  having  neither  shafts 
for  one  horse,  nor  pole  for  two,  a  wooden  hook  on  the  front 
replacing  these  other  devices.  The  horses  one  sees  in  the 
cities  or  country  are  not  such  as  to  attract  admiration. 
Nearly  all  of  the  larger  ones  are  l)lack,  and  they  have  the 
same  appearance  as  those  in  the  old  Dutch  pictures. 

One  peculiarity  of  all  Dutch  horses  is  the  absolute  non- 
existence of  shoulders,  excepting  such  as  ht  the  animal  to 
throw  his  full  w^eight  against  a  breastplate.  Indeed,  it  is 
evident  in  looking  at  the  horses  in  Holland,  why  a  breast- 
plate is  called  a  Dutch  collar.  No  substituticm  of  the  ordi- 
nary collar  used  on  horses  in  other  countries  would  ht  it  to 
the  short  and  upright  shoulders  of  the  horses  in  Holland. 
But  their  backs  are  broad  and  strong-.  Their  ribs  are  well 
sprung,  quarters  excellent,  tails  set  high,  no  inclination  to 
goose  rumps.  Legs  are  excellent,  broad  and  Hat.  Ankles 
are  round  and  strong',  pasterns  short,  hocks  and  feet  excel- 
lent, necks  of  good  length,  and  many  of  the  heads  very 
1)cautiful. 

[    1^    ] 


[    13    ] 

.AmoiiL;'  the  smaller  horses  there  are  many  piebalds. 
l)erhaps  descendants  of  Andalusians  brought  to  Holland  by 
the  Spaniards  during  the  long'  wars  for  independence. 
Tliat  the}-  have  been  in  Holland  since  earl}-  times  is  ])roven 
1)}'  the  reproduction  of  piebald  and  spotted  horses  in  the 
pictures  of  Holland's  great  animal  painter,  Paul  Potter, 
hanging  in  the  public  galleries  and  museums.  Potter  was 
l)orn  in  ]62r),  lived  1)ut  2!)  years,  and  died  in  l(ir)4.  One  is 
struck  l)y  the  great  number  of  small  horses  in  Holland, 
especially  in  the  cities,  some  of  them  drawing  what  would 
seem  impossible  loads,  but  for  the  fact  that  one  sees  dogs, 
also,  pulling  burdens  that  loctk  big  enough  for  horses.  In 
some  places  in  the  country  a  farmer  may  be  met  trotting 
home  from  market  along  the  top  of  the  dyke  in  a  true  "dog- 
cart." a  hea\y  vehicle  in  wliicli  he  sits,  a  single  dog  the  onlv 
motive  power.  Such  conditions  are  i)ossil)le  because  there 
are  no  hills  in  Holland.  The  entire  country  being  perfectly 
flat,  a  load  once  started  almost  runs  by  itself,  very  little 
traction  is  needed  to  keep  it  in  motion,  and  this  the  dog  can 
easily  supply. 

The  carriage  horses  have  a  short,  (|uick  trot;  and 
though  not  possessed  of  great  s])ced,  seem  capable  of  going 
long  distances  at  an  even  gait.  There  is  no  amble,  nor  sug- 
gestion of  a  pace  in  their  way  of  going,  it  is  a  pure,  clean 
trot. 

In  noting  this  one  appreciates  the  genius  of  Count 
OrlolT  Schestmensky,  the  great  Russian  breeder,  who 
created  the  ( )rloff  lu-eed  of  horses.  The  foundation  of  the 
breed  was  the  Arab  horse  Smetanka,  and  with  him  the 
Dutch  horse  Barss.  P>y  breeding  the  oft'spring  of  these 
two  horses,  Orloff  hxed  the  type  which  persists  to  the  pres- 
ent day.  Smetanka,  and  other  Arabs  used  In-  Orloff,  put 
the  beautiful  finish  on  these  horses,  with  spirit,  and  endur- 
ance, the  Dutch  horses  supplied  the  tendency  to  trot,  trot, 
and  trot  some  more.  Xow  the  Orloff'  trotter  can  trot,  and 
trot,  and  trot,  hitched  between  two  horses,  one  running  on 
each  side,  and  he  looks  like  an  Arab  as  he  goes. 


[    14    ] 


LOVKY.     Orloff  trotter  (Russia) 


Noting-  the  fine  heads,  low  build,  and  sound  legs  of  the 
best  horses  in  Holland,  one  begins  to  believe  there  must  be 
some  truth  in  the  story  that  Justin  Morgan,  most  impres- 
sive of  all  horses  in  American  equine  history,  was  the  son 
of  a  Dutch  horse.  Tie  could  have  gotten  his  fine  head  from 
that  source,  and  the  lieavv  mane  and  tail  of  the  Morgan 
much  more  resembles  the  Dutch  than  either  the  Arab  or 
English  thoroughbred  horse.  Someone  may  ask,  what 
about  the  Dutch  cavalry?  Did  not  Dutch  officers  come  to 
the  horse  show  at  Madison  Square  Garden  in  1910  and 
make  a  most  creditable  showing? 


[    15    ] 


DONALD.     Morgan  (America)  1st  prize  Vermont  State  Fair  1910 


Yes.  assuredly.  And  the  same  three  officers,  mounted 
on  the  same  three  iiorses.  won  the  Coupe  Internationale  at 
the  Concours  Hi])pique  at  the  Hague  in  1911.  Moreover, 
the  same  three  horses,  and  same  men.  compete  in  nearlv  all 
the  European  horse  shows  till  horses  and  men  come  ])retty 
near  to  being"  professionals  at  the  l)usiness. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  the  same  three  horses  and 
same  men  have  again  visited  America.  In  the  Horse 
Show  at  Madison  Square  Garden,  in  November.  1911,  Black 
Paddy  carried  all  before  him,  and  the  others  were  not  far 
behind  him. 


[  I'i  J 

The  Concours  Hippique  at  the  Hague  is  one  of  tlie 
most  l^rilliant  affairs  conceivable.  There  are  liorses  from 
many  countries,  the  grounds  are  wonderfully  attractive,  and 
one  sees  not  only  fine  animals  in  the  ring,  l)ut  women  so 
beautiful  as  to  make  one  forget  the  horses,  not  because  the 
ladies  have  fine  clothes — these  are  not  lacking—  -but  1)ecause 
the  lady  of  Holland  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
world,  of  fine  figure,  charming  face,  and  manners,  and  com- 
plexion that  the  women  of  other  lands  may  well  envy. 

Yes.  the  same  Dutch  soldiers,  mounted  on  the  same 
horses,  won  the  Orange  ril^bon  at  the  Hague  (orange  is  the 
color  of  the  first  prize  in  Holland,  not  blue,  in  honor  of  the 
great  familv  of  Orange,  who  rule  the  country)  but  the 
horses  are  not  Dutch.  Black  Paddy,  and  the  others,  are 
Irish  hunters,  bought  at  great  price  to  do  horse  show 
jumping,  and  used  for  nothing  else.  They  are  not  officers' 
chargers,  they  are  simply  horse  show  jumpers;  and  neither 
Black  Paddy,  nor  his  companions,  has  grown  any  tail  since 
we  saw  them  in  America,  they  still  look  as  though  someone 
had  driven  a  wooden  peg'  into  the  place  where  the  tail 
should  have  been.  As  professional  jumpers  they  are  much 
less  attractive  than  some  of  the  horses  Geo.  Pepper,  or  Crow 
and  Murray  used  to  bring"  from  Canada  tcj  make  the  round 
of  horse  shows  in  the  United  States,  or  the  \\'etherbee 
horses,  Keswick  and  David  Gray,  and  the  others,  that 
Julian  Morris  brings  from  Virginia. 

There  are.  certainly,  cavalry  barracks  at  the  Hague, 
and  across  tlic  canal,  on  the  other  side  of  the  road,  there  is 
a  parade  ground,  where  the  squadrons  drill.  But  the  prin- 
cipal use  for  cavalry  in  Holland  is  to  escort  the  Oueen  on 
state  occasions,  or,  as  one  could  see  in  Amsterdam,  during 
the  teamsters'  strike  in  the  sunmier  of  1!)11.  to  accompany 
teams  laden  with  merchandise,  or  sit  on  their  horses  in 
public  squares  ready  to  maintain  order. 

These  men,  like  the  horse  show  officers,  were  not 
mounted  on  Dutch  horses,  but  on  liorses  bought  outside  of 
Plolland. 


CHAPTER  III. 

German  Horses. 
NoR'iHERN  Germany. 

The  ])rincipal  breeder  of  horses  in  the  I'^atherland.  is 
the  Imperial  (ierman  (Invernment.  The  extensive  studs  of 
the  State  are  situated  mostly  in  the  north  and  east  of  Prus- 
sia at  Trakehnen.  Graditz,  P)aberick.  and  elsewhere.  There 
are  also  "remcntenanstalts"  (reniciunt  stations)  at  Xew- 
markt.  near  Re,nensl)ur^',  and  Geisenfeld,  near  Ingaldstadt, 
between  Xureml)ur<;-  and  Munich.  In  both  these  places 
horses  are  bred  for  the  arm}-. 

The  veteran.  Count  Lehndorf,  is  now,  and  has  been  for 
many  years.  Director  General  of  all  the  studs,  dictator  of 
policies,  a  court  of  last  appeal  in  decisions  affecting-  the 
breeding-  of  horses. 

For  a  generation  Count  Lehndorf  has  been  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  scientific  students  of  blood  influences  in 
horse-l)reeding,  b\-  men  interested  in  such  questions  the 
world  over. 

Being-  now  well  adxanced  in  }-ears,  it  is  fortunate  that 
he  has  a  com])etent  understudy,  in  his  assistant  and  ])rob- 
al)le  successor. 

The  German  (Government  breeds  iMiglish  thoroughljred 
race  horses,  from  the  best  producing  animals  that  monev 
will  l)uy.  It  also  races  its  horses.  And  since  the  Govern- 
ment studs  have  the  Imperial  exchequer  for  a  backing,  the 
competition  for  private  breeders  on  the  race  tracks  is  made 
extremely  difficult.  These  complain  somewhat  of  being- 
compelled  to  contest  against  a  1)ottomless  piu'se,  such  as 
that  at  command  of  Count  Lehndorf. 

[    17    ] 


[    18    ] 

The  excuse  for  maintaining  these  great  Government 
l)reeding  enterprises,  is,  of  course,  that  they  may  produce 
stallions,  to  be  used  by  peasant  proprietors,  and  others,  that 
there  may  be  maintained  a  sufficient  supply  of  horses  for 
the  army,  when  these  stallions  are  used  with  the  mares  of 
the  country. 

The  most  successful  ])rivate  breeder  of  race  horses  in 
Germany,  indeed  he  is  at  the  head  of  all  private  breeders  on 
the  Continent,  is  Baron  Carl  von  Weinberg,  of  Frankfort 
a/m.  He  is  one  of  the  few — Baron  Oppenheim,  of  Cologne, 
is  another — whose  income  from  large  l)usiness  affairs  in 
which  they  are  leaders,  permits  them  to  enter  the  field  of 
breeding  and  racing  horses,  even  in  competition  with  the 
Imperial    Government. 

As  a  specimen  of  a  stud  conducted  in  most  perfect 
order,  on  strictest  business  principles,  its  buildings  the  last 
word  of  all  that  material  su])ply  can  offer  to  assist  in  suc- 
cessfully producing  and  developing  race  horses,  its  mares 
and  stallions  and  immature  animals  on  a  parity  with  its  rac- 
ing stable,  which  is  at  the  very  top  of  all  on  the  Continent 
of  Europe,  the  Waldfried  stud  at  Frankfort,  well  deserves 
study.  It  is  typical  of  everything  that  money  and  scientific 
methods  can  do  to  ]M-oduce  the  highest  type  of  thorough- 
bred race  horses.  That  object  is  never  lost  sight  of.  The 
only  thing  considered  is  such  as  will  end  in  a  race  horse  ; 
blood  influence,  conformation,  feeding,  development  of  the 
foal,  everything  has  the  highest  type  of  horses  that  can  ■a'iii 
races  as  its  ultimate  object. 

Its  stables  are  of  brick,  one  story  in  height,  a  row  of 
big  boxes  on  one  side,  with  ^•entilating  windows  near  the 
top  on  the  back  side  of  the  box,  mechanically  operated 
from  the  broad  ])assageway  in  front  of  the  stall,  the  tem- 
perature carefully  regulated.  Fireproof  construction,  an 
electric  lamp  over  each  stall,  windows  the  whole  length  of 
the  front  of  the  stable — with  shades  that  can  be  drawn — 
frequent  doors,  a  man  at  every  turn,  under  the  control  of  a 


[    19   ] 

head  groom,  who  watches  everything,  and  himself  carries 
out  the  orders  of  Baron  von  A\>inberg-.  or  of  his  friend  and 
assistant  for  the  past  three  years.  Mr.  von  I^^risching. 

The  stalhons  and  mares  each  have  a  big  paddock  into 
wliich  they  are  turned  for  exercise.  During  the  hot 
weather  of  July,  I!)!!,  this  outing-  was  from  8:80  a.  m.  to 
10  :30  a.  m.  l^ach  yearling-  colt  has  his  paddock  also,  and 
the  yearling-  hllies  are  turned  into  a  common  paddock,  as 
are  the  weanlings,  the  liours  being-  the  same  as  for  the 
mature    horses. 

At  10:80  all  are  taken  in.  groomed,  put  each  in  its  sej)- 
arate  box.  and  kept  cjuiet  during  the  extreme  heat,  the 
youngsters  encouraged  to  grow,  .^iid  they  do  qrow. 
Weanlings  look  like  the  yearlings  one  sees  elsewhere.  At 
the  time  of  the  writer's  visit  to  \\'alfried  the  two-year-olds 
were  all  with  the  racing  stable  at  Ik-rlin,  tlie  oldest  of  the 
young-  horses  were  yearlings.  On  looking  at  them  it 
seemed  impossible  that  such  great  upstanding,  well  muscled 
animals  should  not  be  of  greater  age. 

In  l!)n  there  are  elex'en  of  these  yearlings.  Tlieir 
height  runs  from  1.6  metres  to  1.7  metres,  68  to  67  inches. 
Foals  of  1910  froyn  15.8  to  16.8  hands  high  before  --lit(/itst  1, 
191]  !  The  largest  colt,  he  of  16.8.  is  no  long-legged  freak, 
lie  measures  .215  metre  (S'^-  inches)  below^  tlie  knee,  liis 
muscle  is  big  and  hard. 

This  size  and  development  is  secured  on  colts  that 
ha\e  never  been  saddled,  bv  strong  feeding  and  systeniatic 
exercise.  A\  eanlings  are  expected  to  eat  twelve  quarts  of 
oats  a  day.  and  these  they  can  digest  because  of  their  regu- 
lar exercise,  that  term  at  W'aldfried  not  meaning  merely 
to  be  turned  loose  in  a  paddock  to  play  or  stand  around  as 
the  colt  or  filly  may  choose.  Thev  are  worked  on  a  track 
specially  prepared  for  them.  In  fact  there  ai  e  two  colt 
tracks,  one  for  the  little  ones,  another  of  285  metres  (251 
yards)  circumference,  for  use  in  the  winter  months  when 
the  young  race  horses  should  learn  to  race. 


[    20    ] 

In  America  we  have  colt  tracks,  but  none  like  those  at 
Waldfried.  Ours  are  indoors.  The  Frankfort  tracks  are 
out  of  doors,  pathways  in  form  of  an  oval  cut  through  the 
woods,  having-  a  roof  over  the  entire  length  of  the  track, 
but  no  sides.  Here  two  colts  are  put  in  together,  and  men 
standing  around  the  track  crack  whips  and  induce  them  to 
run  a  race,  eight  times  around  the  oval,  or  a  little  more 
than  a  mile.  Then  the  first  two  are  taken  in  and  rubbed 
down  and  cared  for  as  though  they  were  race  horses,  an- 
other pair  put  in.  By  the  third  or  fourth  time  the  young 
horses  have  tried  the  track,  they  can  hardly  be  held,  so 
eager  are  they  for  their  race.  As  they  run  entirely  free, 
without  weight,  they  never  hurt  themselves,  they  develop 
big  muscles  and  good  wind.  This  is  all  artificial,  of  course, 
but  it  is  sensible,  and  a  means  to  an  end,  the  making  of  a 
race  horse.  The  skilled  eye  of  the  manager  cjuickly  dis- 
tinguishes which  are  the  race  horses.  He  does  not  have  to 
wait  until  he  gets  word  from  the  trainer  of  the  racing 
stable. 

The  first  of  August,  after  the  colt  or  filly  is  a  year  old, 
it  is  ridden.  With  only  a  snaffle  bit,  a  saddle  is  put  on, 
and  a  light  boy  gets  up  on  the  saddle,  the  young  horse  is 
led  about  under  the  weight  of  the  rider,  a  man  with  lead- 
ing rein  at  each  side.  As  they  have  been  handled  and 
taught  obedience  from  the  time  they  were  foaled,  this  is  all 
the  breaking  they  need.  In  two  or  three  da3^s  the  boys  can 
ride  them  alone,  in  a  month  they  can  be  ridden  in  company, 
like  any  other  horse. 

Then,  before  they  go  ofif  to  be  raced,  and  after  the 
racing  stable  returns,  there  is  the  track  belonging  to  the 
farm  where  the  horses  are  galloped.  Of  full  width  of  a 
regulation  track,  that  at  Waldfried  is  2,500  metres  long, 
straight-away,  with  a  slight  turn  at  the  end.  The  track 
grows  a  fine  crop  of  hay ;  and  while  this  is  growing  the 
running  is  on  a  sand  path  at  the  side,  twenty  feet  wide. 
As  the  colts  can  run  a  mile  and  a  half  without  turn,  there 
is  no  occasion  for  collisions.     When  the  hay  is  harvested, 


[    21    ] 


Private  race  course  Waldfried,  Herr  von  Frisching  in  foreground 


the  running'  is  on  the  tnrf.  Regular  starting  gates  are  on 
the  track,  so  when  the  Waldfried  youngsters  go  to  the  pub- 
lic tracks  to  race,  they  see  nothing  unusual  to  make  them 
afraid. 

From  what  has  been  written  one  can  see  that  the  busi- 
ness methods  that  have  made  Baron  von  Weinberg  the 
leader  of  the  manufacturing  chemists  of  Germany,  are  ap- 
plied when  he  enters  the  sport  of  Kings. 

The  stud  of  horses  he  has  gotten  together  is  worthy 
the  setting  in  which  they  have  been  placed. 

Look  over  the  twenty-eight  mares  of  this  stud  for 
1911 !  It  is  not  believed  that  more  uniform  high  quality 
both  in  the  individual  specimens  and  the  blood  lines  repre- 
sented, exist  in  any  stud  in  the  world. 


[    22    ] 


MARE                  FOALEE 

)            BY 

Angelure 

1897 

St.  Angelo 

Anmut 

1904 

Saraband 

(Barrel) 

1893 

Earcaldine 

Camena 

190T 

Desmond 

Carrara 

1898 

Childvvick 

Catbird 

1900 

Gallinule 

St.  Donatts 

1898 

St.  Simon 

Esthlon 

1902 

Ayrshire 

Fabula 

1904 

Hannibal 

Festa 

1893 

St.  Simon 

Gold  Dream 

1892 

Bend  Or 

Grave  and  Gay 

1899 

Henry  of 
Navarre 

Hesperide 

1908 

Persimmon 

Hopscotch 

1897 

Salisbury 

Iowa 

1898 

Iroquois 

Jolanda 

1903 

St.  Angelo 

Ladyland 

1898 

Kendal 

Ladylike 

1906 

Volodyovsk 

Lovely  Morn 

1900 

St.  Simon 

Meta  II 

1895 

Sensation 

Nicosia 

1895 

Nickel 

Ormelva 

1902 

Orme 

Perennis 

1906 

Cyllene 

Perfect  Love 

1901 

Persimmon 

Pinwheel 

1900 

Juggler 

Polly  Constable 

1899 

Melton 

Rubica 

1905 

Hannibal 

Simpatica 

1905 

St.  Simon 

DAM 

Patineuse  by  Dutch  Skater 
Angelure  by  St.  Angelo 
Vivandiere  by  Hampton 
Cat  Bird  by  Gallinule 

Fanny  Relph  by  Minting 

Kit  by  Arbitrator 

Agnes  Court  by  Hampton 

Amphitura  by  Amphion 

Festa  by  St.  Simon 

L'Abbesse  de  Jourre 
by  Trappist 

Crucible  by  Rosicrucian 

Mount  Vernon  by  Uhlan 

Hopscotch  by  Salisbury 

Lowland  Maid  by  Lowlander 

Laughing  Water 
by  Dalnacardoch 

Iowa  by  Iroquois 

Glare  by  Ayrshire 

Ladyland  by  Kendal 

Bonnie  Morn  by  Rosicrucian 

Magnetic  by  111  Used 

Santaella  by  Kisber 

Huelva  by  Herald 

Perfect  Love  by  Persimmon 

Perfect  Dream  by  Morion 

Mosque  by  Pero  Gomez 

Poudre-a-Canon 
by  Thunderbolt 

Rupie  by  Nickel 

Laodamia  by  Kendal 


[    23    J 

There  stands  Festa,  by  St.  Simon,  her  dam  L'Abbesse 
De  Jouarre,  by  Trappist.  Her  foals,  Festina,  Fels,  Fabula, 
Faust,  Furor,  have  won  nearly  l,r)0(),0(K)  marks  in  races  for 
\\'aldfreid.  Next  stall  to  her  stands  her  daughter  Fabula, 
a  magnificent  chestnut  mare  by  Hannibal,  winner  of  $50,000 
(200,000  marks)  for  the  stud,  and  retired  sound  and  un- 
blemished to  the  stud  at  5  years  of  age. 

Further  along  is  a  most  attractive  American  mare, 
Grave  and  Gay,  by  Henry  of  Xavarre.  her  dam  Mount  \ev- 
non,  by  Uhlan,  for  which  Baron  von  Weinberg  paid 
$15,000.  Two  other  most  attractive  mares  are  Ladylanc 
by  Kendal — her  dam  Glare,  by  Ayrshire — and  Pinwheel,  by 
Juggler,  dam  Mosque  b}-  Pero  Gomez. 

But,  what  is  the  use  !  Look  down  the  list  and  see  if  a 
poor  one  can  be  found  in  the  lot,  for  breeding.  The  indi- 
\'iduals  are  the  best  such  l^lood  can  produce. 

And  what  about  the  stallions  in  the  stud?  \\'ell,  look 
at  their  pictures!  Festino  (foaled  1902)  is  a  son  of  Ayr- 
shire. Fels  (foaled  1!)0.'})  was  by  Hannibal,  iloth  are  sons 
of  the  great  Festa.  Some  people  like  [-"els  better,  the 
wMMter  acknowledges  a  weakness  for  Festino.  lie  is  a 
horse  of  magnificent  bone  and  proportion,  1.71  metre 
(16. 314)  hands  high.  Fels  is  even  bigger,  standing  1.75  metres 
(17  hands,  jX  inch).  It  is  a  toss  up  between  them,  they 
are  both  perfect  representatives  of  the  highest  type  of 
race  horse,  both  without  l)lemisli.  retired  from  the  race 
track  sound,  Festino  having  to  his  credit  1  races,  in  which 
he  won  308,975  marks  ($77,244)  for  his  owner,  and  Fels 
having  won  7  races,  and  417.810  marks  ($104,452)  for 
^^^aldfried. 


[   24   ] 


Festino  (1902; 


Festa 

Ayrshire 

L'Abesse 

St.  Simon 

Atalanta 

Hampton 

de  Jouarre 

pin 

■ 
Festive    Trappist 

.   ^*^-,      Galopin 
Angela           ^ 

Feronia 

Galo 

Lady 
Langden 

Lord 
Clifden 

>. 

'^   \    x:       .ti 

(U 

B 
o 

boS«  t   ,<" 

c 

>\  i 

<o 

o 

1 

> 

to 

C 

S 

o 

rniv 
unc 
erm 

13 

f-<         'C        2      :       ^ 

bo  1  P^o  1  -o 

X3 

o 

6 
i- 

a; 

T5 

TD 
^ 

C^ 

iH 

K 

< 

C 

^Q 

> 

o 

o 

en 

'-Q 

> 

ffi 

Xi 

2; 

[    25    ] 


Fels  (1903) 


Festa 


Hannibal 


L'Abesse 
de  Jouarre 

St.  Simon 

Zama 

Trachenberg 

Festive 

Trappist 

St. 
Angela 

Galopin 

Sousie 
Queen 

Hermit 

Dirt 
Cheap 

Flibustier 

'S 

U 

CI 

c 
03 

s 

J-H 

< 

be 
c 

p 

(U 
> 

n 

'tn 

01 

c 

a 

a; 

n 

o 

in 

o 
O 

Sweet 
Katie 

u 

0) 

c 

03 

o 
o 

PQ 

[    2«    ] 

Furor,  another  son  of  Festa,  her  last  foal,  his  sire  the 
great  Irish  Derby  winner  Galtee  More,  is  still  racing,  now 
5  years  old,  and  will  add  a  lot  more  of  money  to  old  Festa's 
record.  She  is  to-day  the  second  greatest  brood-mare  in 
the  history  of  racing,  reckoned  by  the  winnings  of  her  off- 
spring; and  the  cliances  are  that  she  may  become  first, 
before  her  foals  stop   racing. 

Furor's  picture,  in  racing  condition,  is   here  presented 


FUROR 


with  the  others.  The  description  of  this  great  stud,  and 
its  splendid  horses,  makes  it  certain  that  any  remarks  of 
its  owner  concerning  cavalry  horses,  would  have  in  them 
no  prejudice  against  thoroughbred  blood. 


[    27    ] 

This  is  what  Baron  Carl  von  Weinberg  said  on  the 
subject,  in  conversation  with  the  writer:  "The  cavah'v 
"horse  bred  by  the  Imperial  studs  in  Germany,  is  a  large 
"animal,  mostly  of  thoroughbred  English  racing  blood, 
"crossed  on  the  native  mares. 

"His  size  makes  him  attractive  on  the  parade  ground, 
"and  at  the  great  manouevres.  The  German  Emperor  is 
"partial  to  the  spectacular  in  his  army ;  but  beyond  this, 
"and  above  all  things,  he  is  a  great  man.  of  good  sense,  and 
"practical  ideas. 

"In  these  days  of  smokeless  powder  and  accurate 
"marksmanship,  the  bright  uniforms  of  the  (ierman  army 
"ha\e  become  too  conspicuous  as  marks.  The  Kaiser,  who 
"is  not  only  a  theoretical,  but  a  real  soldier,  is  gradually 
"changing  the  uniforms  for  actual  ser\ice  to  the  more  in- 
"conspicuous  colors  of  khaki. 

"Similar  causes  have  made  great  cavalry  charges,  and 
"close  formations  of  all  kinds,  things  of  the  past.  Tliey 
"would  cost  too  manv  li\es.  I'or  this  reason,  1  believe  our 
"Kaiser  will  ado])t  a  smaller  horse  for  the  caxalry,  whicli 
"hereafter  will  be  most  used  as  the  scouts  and  couriers  of 
"the  army. 

"To  my  mind,  the  ideal  cavalry  horse  is  the  well-bred 
"polo  pony,  as  we  see  him  in  the  great  tournaments  of  the 
"present  day.  lie  can  carry  any  weight  as  well  as  a  bigger 
"horse,  is  tough,  sound,  easily  kept  sound.  In  my  opinion, 
"15  hands  should  be  the  limit  of  height  for  such  a  horse, 
"and  the  better  bred  he  is  the  nearer  he  will  come  to  being 
"a  perfect  cavalry  horse." 

Mr.  von  Frisching,  who  assists  Baron  von  Weinberg 
in  the  management  of  the  A\'aldfried  stud,  is  equally  em- 
phatic as  to  the  proper  horse  for  cavalry  use.  He  shows 
the  picture  of  a  polo  pony  wdiich  he  owned,  that  got  above 
himself  for  the  game  of  polo,  and  Air.  von  Frisching  gave 
him  to  a  friend,  a  captain  of  cavalry  in  the  (lerman  army. 
He  says  that  the  Captain  used  him  several  years  as  his  sole 
charger,  and  reported  him  the  best  horse  he  ever  used. 


[    28   ] 

Baron  von  Weinberg  plays  polo  to-day,  for  recreation, 
and  Mr.  von  Frishing  was  also  a  devotee  of  the  game  until 
two  serious  injuries  made  further  play  impossible.  He 
now  rides  a  half-bred  hunter  mare  that  he  has  taught 
"haute  ecole." 


Herr  von  Frisching,   on  his  half  bred  hack 


Both  these  gentlemen  are  associated  with  the  thor- 
oughbred horse  in  his  highest  form.  But  both  look  upon 
him  as  an  artificial  production,  a  sample  of  what  can  be 
produced  from  nature,  when  brains  are  applied  to  a  definite 
end.  The  thoroughbred  for  them  is  a  horse  to  win  races, 
that,  and  nothing  else.  Mr.  von  Frisching  also  points  out 
that  the  straight  hind  leg  of  the  thoroughbred,  which  is  the 
proper  conformation  of  animal  to  attain  great  speed,  by 
pushing  a  light  weight  perched  on  the  horse's  shoulder  and 
neck,  as  jockeys  now  ride,  is  not  the  shape  for  a  horse  that 
has  to  do  so  many  duties  as  a  cavalry  horse,  the  weight  he 
carries  being  on  his  back. 


[    29   ] 

The  horse  to  win  races  is  one  thing.  The  horse  for 
cavah'y  use  in,  possibly,  a  difficult  country,  is  quite  another 
thing. 

All  the  same,  the  fine  horses  that  won  the  "charger" 
prizes  at  the  great  Olympia  show,  London,  in  1911,  the 
animals  whose  breeders  were  publicly  thanked  by  Kaiser 
Wilhelm,  were  three-quarter  bred  race  horses,  bred  in  East 
Prussian  studs. 

Some  of  the  competing  exhibitors  rather  criticised  the 
propriety  of  the  award.  They  said  that  when  Germany 
first  began  sending  horses  to  the  great  horse  shows — 
especially  to  that  at  Milan  three  or  four  years  ago — she 
was  the  laughing  stock  of  Europe,  and  the  Kaiser  was  so 
vexed  he  declared  he  would  never  let  German  horses  be 
shown  again. 

Major  the  I'arou  von  Helzing-Bernstwerk,  however,  had 
been  for  several  years  to  ( )lympia,  and  thought  he  knew 
what  the  judges  fancied.  In  1!>11,  therefore,  it  is  averred, 
he  persuaded  the  Emperor  to  let  him  select  and  fit  the 
horses  for  the  show.  This  being  conceded,  he  got  his 
horses  ready,  when  he  went  to  London  zi'os  himself  the 
judge  of  the  class,  and,  sure  enough,  his  horses  won  the 
ribbons. 

This  story  may  be  only  the  statement  of  a  disappointed 
competitor;  it  is  given  for  what  it  is  worth. 

That  others  in  position  to  know  whereof  they  speak 
do  not  consider  that  such  horses  as  Major  the  Baron  von 
Helzing-Bernstwerk  considers  the  best,  are  altogether  de- 
sirable, the  following  quotation  from  one  of  the  head 
veterinarians  of  the  German  army,  may  prove  enlighten- 
ing: 

"The  Prussian  Government,  after  long  efforts  has  suc- 
"ceeded  in  improving  its  army  horses ;  it  has  put  some 
"blood  into  them,  even  too  much  blood.  *  *  *  jf 
"it  is  true  that  the  German  cavalry  horses  have  blood  which 
"gives  them  speed,  it  is  recognized  also  in  these  days,  that 
"they    easily   get   leg  weary,   that   they   are   prone   to   sore 


[    30    ] 

'backs,  that  they  are  delicate  and  require  careful  looking- 
after  to  keep  them  in  health,  besides  which  they  demand 
'a  lot  of  strong  feeding.  Also,  after  the  great  manoeu- 
vres, when  these  Prussian  cavalry  horses  are  fatigued, 
'thin,  and  sore,  the  regiments  are  compelled  to  come  back 
'to  their  garrisons  by  short  journeys,  leading  their  horses 
'bv  the  head." 


CHAPTER  IV. 
German  Horses,  Wurtemburcjh. 

When  visitinj^-  the  A\'aldfried  stud  of  Baron  von  Wein- 
burg-  at  Frankfort.  Ilerr  xon  Frishing-  showed,  with  some 
pride,  the  kind  of  horse  he  thought  a  suitable  model  for  a 
cavalry  officer,  or  trooper,  to  ride. 

He  was  a  handsome  bay,  about  15.1.  of  hne  contour, 
good  bone,  and  every  way  a  very  attractive  animal.  At 
Waldfried  he  is  used  as  teazer  for  the  stallions  of  the  stud. 
One  could  not  help  wondering  on  looking  at  him,  if  it 
might  not  be  a  repetition  of  that  early  chapter  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  English  thoroughbred  race  horse,  when  the 
Godolphin  Arabian,  teazer  to  Hobgoblin,  being  used  in  the 
stud  once,  produced  Lath,  and  from  that  time  assumed  a 
pre-eminent  place  in  the  l)uilding  of  the  breed. 

Asked  if  they  ever  used  this  horse  in  the  stud,  1 1  err  \-on 
Frisching  said  they  did,  with  half-l)re(l  marcs,  and  his  foals 
were  most  excellent  animals;  but  as  Waldfried  is  a  stud 
for  race  horses,  he  ne\'er  is  used  with  thoroughbred  mares. 

It  developed  that  this  teazer  was  a  half-brefl  .\rabian. 
from  tlie  stud  of  the  King  of  W'urtemburg.  at  Weil,  near 
Stuttgart.  Going  to  Stuttgart  to  \isit  Weil  and  its  ad- 
joining stud  at  Scharnhausen,  the  writer  naturally  exjjected 
to  see  at  the  capital,  horses  of  the  good  type  of  tlie  W  aid- 
fried  teazer,  ridden  by  the  officers  in  the  army  of  the  King 
of  Wurtemburg.  Motoring  out  from  Stuttgart  to  Weil 
after  breakfast,  the  road  lay  through  the  beautiful  park. 
Officers  were  returning  from  their  morning  rides,  and  there 
was  good  opportunity  to  see  what  they  were  riding.  The 
sight  was  discouraging. 

To  observe  an  officer  in  bright  uniform,  mounted  on  a 
screw,  whose  front  legs  need  boots  on  the  shins  to  prevent 
knocking,  with  hind  legs  as  straight  and  weak  as  those  of 
a  St.  Bernard  dog,  tails  cut  to  the  proportionate  length  and 
shape  of  that  of  a  cotton-tail  rabbit,  is  not  a  pretty  sight. 

L    31    ] 


[    32   ] 

And,  right  here,  is  a  good  place  to  enter  a  criticism  of 
a  truly  great  man.  If  there  is  in  the  world  a  ruler  who  is 
in  his  own  person  and  conduct  the  best  argument  for  the 
"divine  right"  of  kings  to  reign,  it  is  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II  of 
Germany.  The  man  who  has  compelled  peace  in  Europe 
for  forty  years,  a  feat  without  a  duplicate  in  history,  is  a 
greater  man  than  his  ancestor,  Frederick  the  Great,  with 
his  forty  years  fighting.  Anyone  can  fight ;  it  is  the  animal 
instinct.  The  brains  that  can  make  fighting  impossible  are 
those  that  history  will  some  day  write  as  the  greatest. 

Nevertheless,  Kaiser  Wilhelm  the  II  has  allowed  him- 
self,— also  his  father.  Kaiser  Frederick — to  be  mounted  on 
a  horse  with  a  docked  tail,  on  the  bronze  statues  at  the  end 
of  the  great  bridge  over  the  Rhine  at  Cologne.  This  is 
shocking  as  a  matter  of  taste,  and  probably  unprecedented 
in  all  plastic  art.     The  writer  knows  of  no  other  examples. 

Who  would  ever  think  of  Napoleon,  or  Frederick  the 
Great,  Alexander,  or  Wellington,  or  George  Washington, 
riding  a  horse  with  the  tail  of  a  rabbit !  In  our  own  day, 
try  to  picture  Lord  Roberts  or  Kitchener  on  a  bob-tailed 
horse ! 

However — chacnn  a  sou  gout!  But  one  cannot  fail 
to  be  reminded  of  our  own  General  Phil  Sheridan,  one 
of  the  greatest  cavalry  men  of  all  history.  It  is  said  that 
as  he  lay  dying  at  his  home  in  Washington,  his  brother 
came  in  to  see  him  one  morning.  Col.  Sheridan  asked  if 
there  was  anything  he  could  do  for  the  General. 

"Yes,  Mike!     Make  me  a  promise." 

"Whatever  you  ask.  Phil,  I  will  try  to  do  as  you  wish  !" 

"Well,  Mike" — and  the  weary  eyes  wandered  out  of 
the  window,  and  rested  upon  a  bronze  equestrian  statue 
outside — "Mike!  If  when  I  am  dead  they  put  me  on  a 
"horse,  for  God's  sake  see  that  it  is  a  better  one  than 
"that !" 

The  writer  is  sorry  that  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II  will  go 
down  to  posterity  mounted  on  a  horse  whose  beauty  has 


[    33    ] 

been  spoiled  by  the  disfiguring  hand  of  a  passing"  fashion. 
He  is  too  great  a  man  to  leave  such  a  picture  of  himself. 

But.  the  ride  through  the  park,  and  the  sight  of  officers 
shockingly  mounted,  was  soon  at  an  end.  and  any  unpleas- 
ant impression  already  produced,  entirely  forgotten  on 
reaching  Weil,  with  the  genial  cordiality  of  His  Excel- 
lency Herr  Baron  von  Geyr-Schweppenburg,  Oberstal- 
meister  of  his  Majesty  King  William  IT.  He  showed 
every  attention  to  a  stranger  having  no  claims  upon  him. 

At  Weil  is  situated  the  racing  stud  of  the  King.  Here 
one  sees  the  usual  line  of  thoroughbred  English  racers, 
such  as  may  be  found  in  a  hundred  other  places  in  tlie 
world.  As  a  collection  of  thoroughbreds  it  is  Udt  uj)  to  the 
highest  standard,  though  two  young  things  l)v  Hannibal 
were  good  enough  for  any  company.  One  of  them,  a  beau- 
tiful filly,  Jeune  Elegante,  by  Hannibal  from  Genere,  is  the 
joy  and  pride  of  the  Herr  Baron,  and  well  she  might  be. 


His  Excellency  Baron  von  Geyr-Schweppenburg,  and  Jeune  Elegante 


[   34   ] 

Resides  the  thoroughbreds  at  AVeil  are  a  nnmlier  of 
hah'  breds,  meant  for  horsing  the  royal  carriages  in  Stutt- 
gart. 

It  was  when  Weil  was  left  and  the  hills  crossed  to 
Scharnhausen  that  real  horses  were  to  be  seen. 

As  the  reader  doul)tless  knows,  the  late  King,  Wilhelni 
I,  with  the  assistance  of  his  Oberstallmeister,  Baron 
Julius  von  Hiigel,  who  managed  his  horses  from  1852  to 
1871,  got  together  from  many  lands,  and  at  great  cost,  one 
of  the  finest  collections  of  Arab  horses  the  world  has  seen. 
Von  Hiigel  carried  on,  though  he  did  not  originate,  the 
good  work.  AVe  find  that  a  Seglawi  Jedran  stallion,  liair- 
actar,  brought  from  Arabia  in  1817,  was  premier  stallion 
at  Scharnhausen  for  a  period  of  21  years  from  that  time. 

The  origin  of  the  stud  was  the  enthusiasm  of  William 
f,  caused  by  his  experience  in  riding  an  Arab  charger  dur- 
ing the  Napoleonic  wars,  when  he  was  Crown  Prince. 
Coming  into  his  own,  he  determined  to  propagate  the  race 
in  his  own  dominions,  and  did  so  with  much  success.  His 
marriage  with  a  Russian  princess  enabled  him  to  procure 
some  very  high-bred  mares  from  the  Caucasus.  He  also 
sent  commissioners  to  Hungary,  Russia.  Syria,  Egypt, 
wherever  he  could  secure  such  animals  as  he  wanted. 

When  the  sale  of  royal  horses  at  Hampton  Court  took 
place,  he  bought  a  splendid  stallion  named  Sultan,  pre- 
sented to  William  IV  by  the  Imam  of  Muscat.  In  1857.  the 
King  also  obtained  from  the  late  Prince  Consort  another 
Arab  that  had  been  similarly  presented  to  Queen  Victoria 
by  the  Imam.  In  1861  the  Royal  Stud  at  Scliarnhausen 
contained  over  100  broodmares,  fifty  of  which  were  pure 
Arabs.  (Some  claim  there  were  74  Arabs  in  all,  38  stal- 
lions and  36  mares.)  For  more  than  half  a  century  the 
stud  was  conducted  with  royal  magnificence,  and  every 
effort  put  forward  to  olitain  Arab  blood. 

Mr.  James  Cooper,  the  courteous  and  efficient  assist- 
ant of  Baron  von  Geyr-Schweppenburg,  in  the  manage- 
ment at  Weil  and  Scharnhausen,  told  the  writer  that  in  the 


[    35    ] 

summer  residence  of  his  Majesty  William  II  at  Weil  there 
are  numerous  portraits  and  records  of  these  early  Arabians. 
It  is  a  pity  these  could  not  be  published  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  those  interested  in  the  breed  of  horses  so  splendidly 
represented  in  this  stud  in  early  days. 

Probably  the  greatest  breeder  of  Arab  horses  in  mod- 
ern times  was  Abbas  Pasha,  Khedive  of  Egypt.  Raron 
von  Hiigel  claims  he  was  the  greatest  since  the  days  of 
Solomon.  Brought  up  in  the  desert,  his  father  having  been 
Governor  of  Mecca,  he  never  could  get  enough  Arab  horses. 
At  one  time  his  stud  contained  over  1000,  of  purest  blood. 
No  price  was  too  great  for  him  to  pay,  no  expense  too  great 
in  transporting  what  he  bought.  One  stallion — some  of 
whose  descendants  are  in  England  and  .America  at  the  pres- 
ent time — cost  him  £7000  (JJ^^.l.OOO)  ;  and  one  mare  that  he 
bought  in  the  interior  of  Arabia,  being  too  old  td  walk  the 
1200  miles  to  the  coast,  he  had  transported  in  a  bullock 
cart. 

Baron  aou  Iliigel  tells  of  Abbas  ha\'ing  gi\en  a  ])ar- 
ticularlv  tine  horse  to  Queen  \Mctoria,  who  allowed  the 
animal  to  be  sent  to  India.  Abbas,  hearing  of  that  dispo- 
sition, sent  into  Ara])ia  for  the  Uedouin  who  liad  bred  the 
horse,  and  asked  if  he  would  recognize  him  again.  The 
Arab  replied  that  he  would  know  him  among  a  thousand. 
Whereupon  Abbas  sent  him  to  India,  with  a  trusted  agent, 
and  they  returned  at  the  end  of  twelve  months,  bringing 
the  horse  with  them.  The  expense  to  Al)bas  was  five 
thousand  guineas  ($25,000). 

Near  his  stud  in  the  desert,  Al)l)as  I)uilt  himself  a 
splendid  palace,  and  laid  the  foundaticms  for  a  city,  with 
grand  aqueducts,  avenues,  and  gardens ;  but  his  extrava- 
gance brought  his  short  reign  quickly  to  an  end.  Bank- 
ruptcy overtook  him,  he  was  deposed,  and  all  his  effects, 
including  his  stud,  were  sold  by  auction  in  Cairo,  in  1860. 

When  the  end  came  there  were  only  350  of  the  Arab 
horses  left.     His  successor,   a  madcap  youth   of  eighteen, 


[    36    ] 

had  given  them  away  right  and  left  to  any  one  who  could 
manage  to  approach  him  with  flattering  tongue. 

Von  Hiigel  attended  this  sale  for  the  King  of  Wiirtem- 
burgh.  Prices  were  so  high  he  only  bought  two  stallions 
and  three  mares,  and  he  had  to  pay  enormous  prices  for 
them.  The  record  of  these  purchases,  perhaps  the  pictures 
of  the  animals,  may  be  among  those  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Cooper  as  being  in  the  summer  palace.  At  the  sale  above 
referred  to,  which  lasted  for  three  weeks,  aged  mares.  20 
years  old,  sold  at  180  to  250  guineas  ($900  to  $1250),  colts 
and  fillies  from  300  to  700  guineas  each  ($1500  to  $3500). 

Baron  von  Hiigel  was  always  enthusiastic  over  the 
results  of  breeding  Arabs  at  Scharnhausen.  Another 
writer  tells  us: —  "We  have  no  means  of  judging  as  to  the 
"profit  and  loss  of  this  royal  establishment,  but  its  bene- 
"ficial  operation  in  the  welfare  of  the  country  is  undoubted. 
"At  the  commencement  of  the  century  the  cavalry  of 
"Wiirtemburgh  was  supplied  chiefly  from  abroad ;  but  now 
"the  home  resources  are  all  sufficient,  and  five  or  six  hun- 
"dred  high-priced  horses  are  exported  annually." 


SVEN  HADIN 


[    37    ] 

At  the  present  time  the  stud  of  his  ^Majesty  ^^'i^iam 
II  is  not  in  the  very  highest  condition.  Nevertheless,  it 
contains  a  half  dozen  Arab  mares  and  two  stallions. — Sven 
Hadin  and  Denier  Kaya, — not  to  mention  a  lot  of  most 
attractive  young  animals  one  and  two  years  old.  that  are 
worth  more  than  all  the  thoroughbreds  at  A\>il.  That  the 
number  is  not  greater  may  be  attributed  to  an  epidemic  of 
glanders  in  the  stud  a  few  years  ago.  which  caused  many 
most  valuable  animals  to  be  destroyed. 


DENIER  KAYA 

At  the  ])resent  time  there  is  needed  in  this  stud  tlic 
treatment  that  was  given  Babolna  in  1880,  which  will  be 
described  later.  In  that  year  a  committee  of  five  expert 
horsemen  went  thrdugli  the  Babolna  horses,  and  closed  out 
all  but  the  ^■er^-  l)est.  starting  a  system  which  will  com- 
mand our  attention  when  we  come  to  speak  of  that  stud. 

But.  the  material  is  at  Schaniliaiiseii.  In  the  move- 
ment for  smaller  horses  for  cavalry,  now  being  agitated 
even  in  Germany,  the  stud  of  King  AVilliam  II  of  Wiirtem- 
burgh  has  the  possibilities  of  bearing  a  leading  part. 


[   38   ] 


B3 

^^^    r 

■ 

jL         ~"'"                        -ia 

9 

'^ 

Arab  brood  mares  at  Scharnliausen 


[    39    ] 


Arab  brood  mares  at  Scharnhausen 


[    40    ] 


Yearling  Arab  filly  at  Scharnhausen 


And  should  his  Majesty  wish  to  l)e  mounted  as  a  King 
ought  to  be.  there  are  one  or  two  young  animals  at  Scharn- 
hausen, seen  by  the  writer  in  company  with  Mr.  Cooper, 
that  would  develop  into  chargers,  when  proper!}^  schooled, 
such  as  would  make  him  an  object  of  envy  by  all  his  "royal 
cousins." 

Stuttgart  surely  ought  to  be  the  place  where  one 
should  look  for  fine  horses.  Even  the  name  of  the  city 
(Stutt-gard)  means  the  place  where  mares  are  kept  for 
breeding,  a  breeding  stud.  It  was  founded  by  Lintolf, 
Duke  of  Schwabia.  son  of  Otho  I,  about  A.  D.  950  to  970, 
and  its  name  indicates  that  horses  were  bred  there  from 
early  days.  The  arms  of  the  city  confirm  the  facts  attend- 
ing its  founding;  they  are  a  mare  followed  by  her  foal. 
What  more  appropriate  insignia  for  a  city  which  may  again 
take  the  place  it  once  had,  as  the  home  of  horses  of  choicest 
quality  ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

Austrian  Horses 
The  Lippizans. 


The  moment  one  ])asses  witliin  tlie  Austrian  l)Oiin(lary 
the  superior  quality  of  even  the  commonest  horses  is 
forced  upon  his  attention.  Even  those  in  the  public  vehi- 
cles of  the  cities  show  breeding.  These,  of  course,  are  the 
cast-ofifs  of  private  or  government  stables,  and  are  usually 
unsound;  but  there  is  a  well-bred  look  to  them,  fine  heads, 
necks  and  bodies,  even  though  the  legs  are  ailing,  with  an 
alert  appearance  that  indicates  they  were  bred  for  better 
things  and  have  fallen  on  evil  days. 

Most  of  them  have  their  origin  in  Hungary,  the  other 
half  of  the  Dual  Empire  of  Austro-Hungary. 

This  first  impression  is  emphasized  when  the  visitor, 
standing  in  the  door  of  his  hotel  in  A'ienna,  especially  if 
upon  the  "Ring,"  sees  the  officers  pass  on  the  saddle  path 
to  and  from  the  morning  exercise  of  their  horses.  One  may 
see  more  well-bred  cavalry  horses  of  excellent  type  in  an 
hour  of  observation  at  such  a  place  than  he  will  have  found 
in  a  week  of  hunting  outside  of  Austria  and  Hungary. 

[    41    ] 


[   42    ] 

Inquiring  at  the  Oberstallsmeisteramt,  the  office  of  the 
Master  of  Imperial  Horse,  at  the  Hofbiirg-,  Hofrat  Dr. 
Freiherr  von  Slatin — brother  of  the  famous  Slatin  Pasha — 
who  is  the  Kansleidirector  (Director-in-Chief )  of  all  the 
Imperial  Studs  and  Riding  Schools,  said  : 

"W'e  believe  the  horses  bred  in  Hungary  are  the  best 
"cavalry  mounts  in  the  world.  They  are  not  too  large,  and 
"have  a  great  proportion  of  Arab  blood  in  them. 

"\\'e  buy  some  English  thoroughl^reds  for  the  Im- 
"perial  stables,  and  for  the  ( irand  Dukes  to  ride;  l:>ut  they 
"are  not  cavalrv  horses;  the  smaller  ones  are  much  more 
"useful  for  the  service." 

Hofsekretar  Ferdinand  Ziwsa,  Rittmeister  i.  d.  Res. — 
in  immediate  charge  of  the  Oberstallsmeisteramt  at  the 
Hofburg  in  Vienna,  the  Imperial  Spanish  Riding  School,  is 
even  more  emphatic  in  the  same  opinion. 

His  remarks  were  made  at  a  time  when  four  of  the 
famous  Lippizan  stallions  were  being  shown  the  writer, 
and  he  illustrated  what  he  said  by  calling  attention  to  these 
horses.  As  the  Lippizans  are  a  breed  with  which  the 
world  in  general  is  not  familiar,  before  quoting  Herr 
Ziwsa's  most  valuable  opinions,  we  may  well  learn  from 
him  something  about  this  race  of  horses. 

Next  to  the  pure  Arabs,  these  Lippizans  are  the  old- 
est established  breed  of  horses.  Herr  Ziwsa,  as  Hofse- 
cretar,  having  access  to  all  the  Imperial  records  of  his  de- 
partment, kindly  furnished  the  writer  with  exact  informa- 
tio  concerning  them.  They  are  distinctly  .\ustrian  horses, 
of  which  the  nation  may  well  be  proud.  Indeed,  they  are 
not  to  be  found  anywhere  outside  the  Emperor's  private 
stables  and  the  Imperial  studs,  excepting  in  Hungary, 
which  country  devotes  one  of  its  Government  studs 
Fogares,  to  Lippizans.  That  fact  alone  is  a  guarantee  that 
they  are  a  valuable  breed. 


[    45    ] 

Lippiza,  the  imperial  court  stud,  is  situated  on  the 
Karst  highlands  about  13  kilometers  from  Trieste.  The 
grass  is  very  thin  and  light,  because  of  scarcity  of  water 
and  of  exposure  to  strong  north  winds ;  but  it  is  noted  for 
its  exquisite  quality  and  sweetness.  The  character  of  the 
pasture  at  Lippiza  is  the  same  as  that  of  Prostranegg,  about 
36  kilometers  distant,  both  being  parts  of  one  establish- 
ment, and  under  charge  of  Herr  Emil  Finger.  The  land 
is  hilly,  and,  as  the  ])ictures  show,  the  surface  is  liberally 
jMcrced  with  lime  rock,  so  that  the  observer  wonders  all  the 
young  horses  do  not  break  their  legs.  This  surface,  how- 
ever, develops  wonderfully  s<:)und  feet.  There  is  no  run- 
ning water.  The  stock  are  driven  to  the  pools  in  the 
morning,  allowed  to  drink  their  fill  and  wallow  in  the 
water,  as  shown  in  the  fotograf.  They  are  then  driven  to 
their  rough  hill  pastures,  and  drink  no  more  till  the  next 
morning.  This  makes  tliem  very  hardy,  capable  of  bear- 
ing deprivations  of  food  and  water. 

Lippiza  is  the  real  breeding  farm,  wdiere  the  mares  and 
stallions  are  kept  and  the  young  are  foaled.  These  are 
weaned  at  four  months,  and  they  are  then  sent  to  Pros- 
trenegg.  There  are  at  present  at  this  farm  183  foals  of 
1911.  \Mien  four  years  old  the  young  stallions  are  sent  to 
X'ienna  to  the  vSpanish  Riding  School  for  training ;  the  geldings 
and  mares  go  either  to  the  Royal  stables  or  to  the  breeding 
farm.  The  stallions  have  for  so  many  generations  been 
trained  in  haute  ccolc,  under  masters  unequalled  in  the 
world,  that  the  influence  has  become  fixed.  Not  only  has 
a  distinct  physical  conformation  come  under  the  influence 
of  heredity,  the  young  stock  before  being  trained  do  many 
of  the  movements  of  the  Jimite  ccole,  naturally. 

When  Herr  Finger  needs  a  stallion  for  the  breeding 
stud,  or  more  than  (me,  he  comes  to  Vienna,  selects  what 
he  thinks  the  best,  and  he  or  they  do  no  further  work  ex- 
cepting to  continue  the  breed  in  the  stud. 


[    46    ] 

It  was  the  Emperor  Joseph  II,  who  reigned  from  A.  D. 
1765  to  1790,  who  first  org-anized  governmental  horse 
breeding"  in  Austria,  on  its  present  lines,  though  in  centuries 
previous  to  that  excellent  horses  were  bred  in  the  Imperial 
studs  of  Lippiza  and  Prostranegg". 

Indeed,  the  Archduke  Charles,  third  son  of  Emperor 
Ferdinand  I,  noticing'  the  excellent  cpiality  of  the  horses 
about  Lippiza  and  Prostranegg",  also  the  adaptability  of  the 
land  for  horse  breeding,  laid  the  foundation  for  this  stud  on 
the  Karst  highlands  at  this  very  place  as  early  as  1580  A. 
D.  h^rom  that  time  the  Imperial  Court  stal^les  in  Vienna 
have  had  the  exclusive  call  on  tlie  Lippizan  stud  farm  for 
its  horses.  The  only  exception  to  this  rule  is  the  few  that 
have  been  permitted  to  go  into  the  1  lungarian  Government 
studs,  as  already  stated. 

The  first  material  used  at  Lippiza  for  lireeding  were 
Spanish  horses — probably  products  of  a  cross  between 
oriental  (Morocco-Barb)  horses  and  the  big  country  mares 
of  the  Pyrenean  peninsula.  Later  on  were  brought  to 
Lippiza  horses  from  the  north  of  Italy,  and  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century  several  German  and  Danish  stallions  were 
used  with  much  success. 

It  was  in  1722  that  the  stud  was  enlarged  by  Charles 
VI,  who  bought  the  former  monastery  of  Prostranegg",  near 
Adelsberg".  The  branch  stud  of  Prostranegg  was  finally 
joined  in  its  operations  to  the  main  stud  of  Lippiza  in  173G. 

In  1809-1815  the  entire  Karst  stud  (Lippiza  and 
Prostranegg)  was  presented  to  Marshal  Marmont,  who 
brought  part  of  the  horses  to  the  neighborhood  of  Arad,  in 
Hungary.  After  the  downfall  of  Napoleon  the  stud  was 
again  concentrated  in  its  former  location. 

In  1829  all  the  saddle  horses  from  the  Koptschan  stud 
(near  Llolitch,  on  the  border  of  Austria-Hungary),  where 
most  excellent  horses  were  bred,  were  brought  to  Lippiza, 
and  the  stud  was  from  that  time  forward  commanded  to 
supply  the   Imperial  stables  with  white  horses.     Here  let 


[    47    ] 

us  quote  the  exact  words  of  Hofsekretar  Ziwza,  which  he 
emphasized  in  his  notes  by  underhnin<2^  with  l)oth  black 
and  red : 

"/;;  tJie  begiuiiiiuj  of  the  niiictccntJi  century  they  beijan  to 
"breed  systematically  7cith  oriental  blood. 

''How  eminently  the  Arabian  horses  [stallions)  proved 
"first  rate,  also  here  testify  the  names  Si(/laiy\  Gaclan,  Sam- 
"soii,  Hadndi,  and  Ben-A.zct,  -cchich  are  euf/rared  in  the  annual 
"book  of  the  stnd  Lippiza  lAth  golden  letters." 

These  stud  l)ooks  arc  only  in  existence  from  1701.  In 
that  year  a  ,^reat  tire  burned  the  stud  books  of  the  earlier 
era.  Long-  before  that  the  horses  bred  on  the  Karst 
highlands  had  estal)lishc(l  their  reputation  for  vigor,  gen- 
tleness, activity,  endurance  and  longevity.  l^hey  were 
often  in  active  use  till  thirty  years  of  age. 

The  register  of  1701  notes  the  arrival  of  tlie  S])anish 
horse  Cordova.     His  name  is  proof  of  his  origin. 

In  1717  other  stallions  of  Spanish  blood  were  brought 
to  Lippiza,  one  from  Italy,  one  from  Denmark.  In  the 
same  year  came  the  stallion  Li])]:),  from  the  stud  of  Prince 
Lippe  Borckenburg.  I  lis  numerous  descendants  were 
searched  fov  during  a  century  after  that  time,  they  i)roved 
so  valuable,  and  were  so  highly  esteemed.  It  was  recog- 
nized as  a  fact  that  during  these  early  days  the  Andalusian 
stallions  were  the  best  in  the  world.  During  the  sixteenth 
century  e\'ery  important  stud  that  could  ]:)rocure  them 
made  use  of  these  famous  horses.  These  animals  were  the 
produce  of  the  native  Sj^anish  mares  and  the  P.arb  ( Ber- 
ber) stallions — closely  akin  to  Arabs — brought  to  Granada 
in  the  time  of  the  Moor  Maneys,  who  ruled  not  only 
Granada,  but  all  .\ndalusia. 

From  these  was  bred  an  established  race  of  horses, 
whose  chief  characteristics  are  uniform  height,  round 
croup,  fine  head,  showy  trot,  an  obedient  disposition, 
tough  perseverance. 


[   48    ] 


HASSAK.     Sheep-nosed  stallion  from  Kladrub 


Some  of  these  horses  showed  the  characteristic  head 
now  called  the  "sheep-nose,"  which  is  seen  and  rather  cul- 
tivated in  certain  of  the  white  horses  used  in  the  state  car- 
riages to-day.  On  first  seeing  these  heads  they  produce 
rather  an  unpleasant  sensation.  As  one  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  them,  they  give  an  air  of  distinction — like  the 
high  Roman  nose  of  the  great  Duke  of  Wellington — they 
become  a  feature.  Such  a  horse  is  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying picture  of  Hassak,  one  of  the  40  white  stallions  in 
the  Imperial  stable  at  Vienna,  used  on  the  coronation 
coach  and  for  other  festive  occasions.  Eight  of  these 
horses  are  harnessed  together,  two  more  ridden  behind 
the  coach.  To  see  these  great  horses,  from  17  to  17^ 
hands  high,  with  flowing  white  tails,  their  gorgeous  har- 
ness, which  weighs  perhaps  300  or  400  pounds,  with  their 
round,  stately  trot,  arched  necks  so  that  chins  nearly  meet 
their  breasts,  the  roman  nose  of  the  horse  becomes  part  of 
the  unbroken  curve  from  his  wither  to  his  chin,  and  really 
is  quite  impressive.  This  "sheep-nose"  is  really  an  idio- 
syncracy  of  a  certain  strain  of  Barb  blood. 


[    '^0    ] 

Let  there  be  no  misunderstanding  in  having-  attention 
called  to  these  great  beautiful  coach  horses.  They  are  not 
Lippizans.  They  come  from  the  Kladrub  stud,  which,  by 
edict  of  August  17,  1763,  was  made  the  place  where  these 
animals  should  be  bred.  This  stud  is  situated  in  the  valley 
of  the  Elbe,  between  Pardubitz  and  Prague.  It  is  called 
upon  to  keep  a  constant  sup])ly  of  40  white,  4-0  black,  and 
40  bav  stallic)ns  of  this  breed  at  all  times  in  the  Imperial 
stables  of  Vienna,  and  every  animal  of  each  color  must  be 
so  exactly  like  every  other  that  any  two  can  be  harnessed 
together.  No  one  but  the  Emperor  of  Austria  is  permitted 
to  own  a  sheep-nosed  horse.  Attention  was  called  to  them 
because  in  the  Lippizans  at  the  beginning  there  was  some 
of  the  same  Barb  breed,  which  occasionally  showed  a  sheep- 
nose  on  a  Lippizan.  This  feature  has  within  the  last  half- 
century  been  entirely  eliminated  by  the  use  of  Arab  blood, 
without  otherwise  changing  the  characteristics  of  the 
breed. 

Herr  Ziwza  says: — "The  blood  of  this  race  (the  An- 
"dalusian)  is  to  be  found  in  numerous  other  races  in  Eu- 
"rope."  He  adds — "and  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  breed  of 
"Lippiza  is  looked  on  as  the  finest  ideal  of  a  n()l)le  race  of 
"horses." 

In  the  eighteenth  century  the  Spanish  horses,  and  later 
the  Polish  and  Neapolitan,  had  begun  to  deteriorate,  los- 
ing their  characteristic  type  and  hereditary  power.  There- 
fore they  could  no  longer  be  used  for  new  infusions  to  the 
betterment  of  other  races.  It  became  necessary  to  have 
recourse  to  the  stallions  of  Denmark  and  Holstein,  where 
were  still  to  be  found  descendants  of  the  true  type  of  the 
old  Spanish-Italian  race.  In  1795  Lippiza  brought  from 
Denmark  the  stallion  Danese.  Pluto  having  come  from  the 
same  country  in  1765,  and  Tinker  in  1767.  In  1771  Lip- 
piza received  Saltadore  from  Holstein,  and  Toscanello 
from  Pisa  in  Italy,  where  these  Spanish  horses  were  bred 
in  semi-wild  state  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Arno. 


[   51    ] 

After  telling  of  all  these  horses  brought  to  the  stud, 
Herr  Ziwza  says  : 

"That,  nevertheless,  no  bad  qualities  were  produced, 
"can  only  be  explained  In-  the  fact  that  all  these  stallions 
"and  mares  came  of  an  old  l)ut  very  settled  race,  that  they 
"had  a  healthy  climate,  excellent  pasturage,  very  good  food 
"in  the  stable,  hrst-rate  care,  education  of  methodical  and 
"natural  movement  under  saddle,  and  also  in  harness. 
"Finally,  the  staying  (pialities  of  these  horses  were  always 
"thoroughl}-  tried  out  before  they  were  ])ut  in  the  stud." 

Six  sires,  now  at  Lippiza,  are  characteristic  representa- 
tives of  the  many  that  have  been  used  at  that  stud  during 
three  centuries. 

They  are  h\'ivory,  Pluto,  Maestoso,  Con\'ersano. 
Neapolitano  and  .Siglay}-.  The  name  of  the  last  is  indica- 
tive of  an  infusion  of  ])ure  Aral)  1)loo(l  iuto  the  breed,  which 
Herr  Ziwza  says  was  resorted  to  about  the  middle  of  the 
nineteenth  centurA-.  to  hue  up  their  heads.  The  names  of 
some  of  the  Aral)  mares  now  at  Lippiza.  Khel.  Mersucha, 
Jidran.  Shagya.  and  (iratia,  show  that  the  same  influences 
are  still  at  work  towards  the  same  end. 

At  the  time  when  the  Lippizan  horses  at  the  .Spanish 
Riding  School  in  A'ienna  were  being  shown  the  writer, 
there  w-ere  present  Herr  Ziwza,  the  Ilofsecretar ;  Herr  Emil 
Finger,  Superintendent  of  the  Stud  Farms  at  Fippiza  and 
Prostrenegg;  Herr  Zrust,  head  riding  master,  who  has  suc- 
ceeded the  famous  Meissner.  now  retired  Ijecause  of  his 
age,  and  other  riding  masters.  There  were  fourteen  of  the 
Lippizans  being  shown,  three  and  four  at  a  time.  These 
horses  had  undergone  years  of  high  school  training,  and 
were  shown  in  their  most  difficult  feats,  besides  being 
stripped  for  measurement  and  posed  before  the  camera  for 
fotoorafina:. 


[     52    ] 

They  were  put  through  the  usual  movements  of 
haute  ccole  that  horses  in  all  countries  are  taught.  Then 
the  more  difficult  movements  were  shown,  the  piaffer — 
where  the  horse  trots  in  perfect  rhythm,  not  moving  for- 
ward or  backward ;  the  capriole  in  which  the  horse  rears 
till  he  gets  a  perfect  balance,  then  springs,  still  rearing, 
like  a  kangaroo,  landing  on  his  hind  feet,  the  front  feet  still 
in  the  air.  This  is  so  dangerous  a  feat  that  Herr  Zrust  re- 
moved the  stirrups  from  his  saddle  when  it  was  performed 
by  the  white  horse,  Favory-Ancona  11.  Such  precaution  is 
necessarv.  as  the  horse  might  lose  his  balance  and  fall 
backward,  and  the  rider  must  not  be  embarrassed  by  stir- 
rups. Then  followed  the  high  Icvatc,  and  low  leziate,  most 
difficult  feats  of  all.  where  the  horse  rears,  gradually  settles 
by  bending  his  hocks,  and  remains  poised.  The  white 
horse,  F'avory-Ancona  II,  could  do  the  high  levate,  the  bay, 
Favory-Ancona  I,  was  the  only  one  that  could  accomplish 
the  low  levate.  It  is  doubtful  if  another  horse  in  the  world 
can  do  it. 

As  these  horses  were  being  shown  and  measured,  the 
conversation  naturally  turned  on  the  best  size  for  horses  to 
be  used  in  the  cavalry.  Of  the  14  Lippizans  before  us,  only 
two  were  15  hands  high,  the  average  was  14.3 ;  yet  they 
looked  strong  enough  to  carry  as  manv  riders  as  could  be 
packed  on  their  backs  together. 

Herr  Ziwza  remarked : — "It  is  not  possible  for  big 
"horses  to  have  the  perfect  proportions  wc  hnd  in  the  small 
"ones.  There  is  no  difiference  of  opinion  among  the  officers 
"of  the  Austro-Hungarian  army  in  favor  of  the  small  ones." 

He  added: — "The  horse  ridden  b}-  my  friend.  Colonel 
"Heller,  in  the  great  long-distance  trial  from  Vienna  to 
"Berlin  in  1892  was  a  very  small  horse.  His  condition  was 
"the  best  of  any  at  the  end.  Small  horses  are  always  the 
"best  for  long  and  hard  rides." 

Herr  Finger  and  Herr  Zrust,  who  were    standing    by, 


[   53   ] 


r- — ----:--•                  .            P^^ 

*    i^-^^5^i» — 

FAVORV   ANCOXA   II-Trottiny 


FAVORV  ANCONA  Il-Piaflf^;r 


[   54   ] 


FAVORY  ANCONA  II— Rearing  to  balance  capriole 


FAVORY  ANCONA  II— Springing  from  ground  capriole 


[   55   ] 


FAVORY  ANCONA  Il-High  levate 


agreed  perfectly  to  all  that  Herr  Ziwza  said.  The  great 
cavalry  manoeuvres  in  Galicia.  in  September,  1911,  were 
approaching.  When  told  that  Generals  Garlington  and 
Wotherspoon  of  the  United  States  Army  were  to  be  pres- 
ent, these  Austrians  remarked: — "Well,  they  will  not  see 
"any  big  horses  of  thoroughbred  type  there." 


[   56   ] 


FAVORY  ANCONA  I— Deep  levate 


Then,  as  the  bay  horse  Favory-Ancona  I  poised  and 
settled  to  the  deep  levate,  crouching  Hke  a  hon  ready  to 
spring,  his  belly  hardly  a  foot  off  the  ground,  the  entire 
weight  of  horse  and  rider  on  his  bent  hocks,  which  nearly 
touched  the  ground,  Herr  Ziwza  pointed  to  him  and  said : — 
"He  could  not  do  that  if  he  had  the  long  legs  and  straight 
"hocks  of  the  thoroughbred  race  horse." 

This  horse  is  15  years  old,  15  hands  1  inch  high.  Look- 
ing back  at  the  end  of  a  three  months'  tour  of  investigation, 
and  marshalling  before  his  memory  the  hundreds  of  horses 
he  has  seen  and  examined,  the  writer  is  inclined  to  give 
this  bay  the  blue  ribbon,  as  the  most  perfect  individual  for 
all-around  good  qualities  of  all  the  horses  he  saw  in 
Europe. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Hungarian  Horses. 
The  Home  of  the  Hussars. 

It  was  most  interesting  to  the  writer  to  he  told  the 
origin  of  the  word  Hussars,  now  used  in  connection  with 
cavah'v  the  world  over,  by  a  Hungarian,  member  of  the 
National  Legislature,  a  man  ])roud  of  his  country's  history. 

For  a  tliousand  years  Hungary  has  had  a  constitu- 
tional government,  its  millennial  having  l)een  celebrated  in 
1896,  and  marked  by  the  beautiful  column  and  gate  at  the 
head  of  Andrassy  Street  in  lUidai^est.  During  its  early  life 
the  country  stood  as  the  l)uhyark  for  the  Christian  nations 
of  the  AVest,  and  turned  back  the  tide  of  aggressive  Moham- 
medanism from  the  East.  The  Tiu'ks  were  only  finally 
driven  away  from  Budapest  as  late  as  1()86. 

For  generations,  therefore,  the  maintenance  of  a  suffi- 
cient army  w  as  a  necessity,  and  cavalry  was  its  most  efifec- 
tive  arm.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  during  a  period  cov- 
ering many  years  the  law  of  the  land  compelled  every 
twentieth  man  to  devote  himself  to  the  defence  of  the 
State.  To  seal  his  enrollment,  when  he  joined  the  army, 
this  twentieth  man  received  a  twenty-crown  i^iece  of  gold. 
In  Hungarian  the  word  for  t\vent_\-  is  luisc.  The  word  for 
receive  is  arr.  So  when  these  twentieth  men  were  given 
the  twenty-crown  gold  pieces,  and  received  them,  they  be- 
came Hussars.  Such  was  the  reputation  of  these  Hun- 
garians for  soldierly  ciualities.  it  was  not  long  before  cav- 
alry all  over  the  world  were  proud  to  adopt  their  name  and 
call  themselves  hussars. 

[  ''Q  ] 


[    60    ] 

The  first  standing  army  in  Europe,  the  famous  "black 
army"  of  Matthias  Corvinus,  son  of  the  Hungarian  hero, 
John  Hunyady  (Hunyadi  Janos),  was  largely  composed  of 
cavalry,  who  called  themselves  hussars.  With  this  army 
Corvinus  drove  back  the  Turks,  humbled  the  Bohemian 
and  Polish  Kings,  occupied  \'ienna  in  1485,  assumed  the 
title  of  King  of  Bohemia,  and  established  his  court  at 
Budavar,  the  Castle  of  Buda. 

For  generations  Hungary  has  been  noted  for  the  qual- 
ity of  its  horses.  They  probably  were  never  so  good  as 
they  are  to-day.  Baron  Slatin  declares  them  the  best  in 
the  world.  Certainly  no  government  has  been  at  greater 
pains  to  make  them  good,  and  the  scientific  methods  which 
have  produced  the  result  are  worth)-  the  serious  study  of 
other  countries,  especially  of  the  United  States.  The  sys- 
tem ev(jh'ed  and  carried  forward  under  the  direction  of  the 
Hungarian  Department  of  Agriculture  is  such  as  must 
command  the  highest  encomiums  of  thoughtful  horsemen 
who  are  privileged  to  become  acquainted  with  the  intelli- 
gent men  at  headquarters  in  Budapest  and  to  visit  the 
State  stud  farms. 

In  dealing  with  these  studs  indixidualh'.  later  in  this 
paper,  the  changes  in  the  political  history  of  Hungary  will 
be  seen  to  have  had  its  influence  on  the  methods  of  the 
breeding  studs. 

The  first  lesson  to  l)e  learned  is  to  become  familiar 
with  conditions  as  they  exist  at  the  present  time. 

There  are  to-day  four  great  breeding  studs  for  horses 
owned  and  controlled  by  the  Flungarian  Government.  Two 
of  them,  Babolna  and  Kisber,  are  devoted  to  horses  of 
world-wide  recognition  as  established  breeds.  At  Babolna 
the  horses  are  Arabs,  pure-bred  and  half-bred.  At  Kisber 
they  are  English  Thoroughbred  race  horses  and  half-breds 
of  the  same  race.  The  other  two  studs  are  Mezohegyes, 
where  are  bred  Gidran,  a  cross  of  Arab  and  English  Thor- 
oughbred horses,  and  Nonius  horses,  a  cross  of  English 
Thoroughbred  and  French  Coach  horses.     The  Gidrans  are 


[    61    ] 

all  for  cavalry  remounts,  and  all  chestnuts.  The  Nonius 
are  mostly  bay  or  brown,  and  are  more  suital)le  for  artillery 
service  and  other  harness  work.  Fogaras  breeds  Lippizan 
liorses,  whose  acquaintance  we  have  alreadv  made. 

In  all  these  studs  a  regular  system  of  testing  is  fol- 
lowed, to  the  end  that  all  horses  in  the  State  stock  farms 
shall  be  continually  improving  in  quality.  The  object  of 
the  Government  is  to  produce  an  increasing  number  of 
young  stallions  for  distribution  throughout  the  country,  for 
use  of  private  breeders,  on  such  reasonable  terms  as  to 
invite  their  use. 


Half-bred  Arab,  son  of  Koheilan  (Hungary) 


L   62   ] 

In  October  each  year  young"  stallions  three  years  old 
past  are  sent  to  the  stallion  stations,  where  they  are  kept 
until  February  of  their  fourth  year.  Then,  being  four 
vears  old — no  stallion  is  used  in  the  stud  till  he  reaches 
that  age — they  are  scattered  through  the  villages  of  the 
country,  to  cover  the  native  mares  at  from  6  to  12  knonen 
each  ($1.25  to  $2.50).  In  July  they  are  returned  to  the 
stallion  stations — there  are  over  400  of  these  in  Hungary — 
having-  served  not  more  than  -10  mares  each. 

An  approved  horseman  may  hire  one  of  these  stallions, 
a  half-bred  from  one  of  the  great  Government  studs,  for 
use  on  his  own  mares,  for  800  knonen  the  season   ($160). 

He  must  be  returned  in  July,  at  same  time  as  those  dis- 
tributed in  the  villag^es  by  the  Government,  to  his  proper 
stallion  station.  A  complete  record  of  the  number  of 
mares  served  by  each  stallion,  and  the  amount  of  fees  he 
has  earned  in  the  season,  is  kept  in  the  Horse  Breeding 
Bureau  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Budapest,  and 
no  rented  horse  must  be  allowed  to  serve  more  than  45 
mares. 

The  Government  further  encourages  jM'ivate  breeders 
to  i)roduce  half-lu-ed  stallions  of  high  quality.  To  that  end, 
it  each  year  l)uys  a  certain  number  of  approved  yearling 
colts,  also  of  three-year-olds.  In  1910  the  number  of  three- 
year-olds  so  purchased  was  1197,  of  yearlings  was  200. 
When  such  bought  colts  are  three  years  old  they  are  care- 
fully examined  in  the  fall,  those  approved  for  service  are 
sent  to  the  stallion  stations  for  distribution  in  February,  as 
above  related,  those  not  up  to  the  Government  standard  are 
gelded  and  sold  by  auction. 

Further,  to  encourage  jirivate  breeders,  the  State  will 
take  any  approved  stallion  of  three  years,  send  him  to  the 
Government  stallion  station  for  distribution  in  February  to 
breeders  in  the  villages,  on  same  terms  as  those  sent  there 
of  Government  ownership.  WHien  the  season  is  over  he  is 
returned  to  his  owner,  with  his  earnings.  The  only  stipu- 
lation is  that  such  young  stallion  shall  be  the  son  of  a  Gov- 


[    63    ] 

eniment  stallion,  or  an  approved  thoroughl)red  outside  the 
Government  studs. 

At  the  present  time  1600  such  half-bred  stallions  are  in 
use  througli  the  operation  of  the  above-described  distribu- 
tions, breeding-  remounts  for  the  army.  There  are  400  re- 
mount studs  in  Hungary. 

The  list  of  Government  stallions  in  IDll  is  reported  to 
be  as  follows : 

English    Thoroughbred    238 

English   Half-bred    1,556 

Pure  Arab    45 

Half-bred    Arab    302 

Nonius    593 

Gidran    205 

Lippizan    179 

Draft   Stallions    116 

Half-breds,  3  and  4  years  old,  bought j  1.197  / 

Yearlings  bought  from   ]irivate  owners I      200  [ 

Total  for  1911    3,234 

As  an  average  of  3000  Government  stallions  are  sent 
around  the  country  each  year,  and  tlie  mares  bred  to  them 
number  about  125,000.  not  counting  5000  marcs  whose 
owners  hire  Government  stallions,  or  liave  such  tlieir  own 
property,  the  magnitude  of  the  horse-breeding  industr}-  in 
Hungary  becomes  apparent. 

Count  Peter  Szapary,  of  the  Horse  Breeding  Depart- 
ment at  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture — Avho  kindly  gave 
much  informatitm  to  the  writer,  l)esides  su])])l}ing  i)rinted 
reports  from  which  further  data  was  derived — said 
that  about  80'^^  of  the  mares  covered  each  year  at  the  Gov- 
ernment studs  ])roduce  foals  the  following  spring.  This  is 
a  very  high  rate  of  fertility.  If  it  is  an  average  rate  for  the 
whole  country,  is  is  evident  that  more  than  100,000  horses 
are  foaled  each  year,  and  accounts  for  the  leputation  Hun- 
gary enjoys  as  a  horse-breeding  country.  Moreover,  the 
Hungarian  horses  are  not  only  numerous ;  they  are  good. 
This  comes  from  the  fact  that  the  same  quality  of  brains 


[    64    ] 

which   produces   a   big   supply   sees   that   the   quality   con- 
stantly improves. 

We  have  seen  that  young  stallions  are  sent  in  Octo- 
ber to  be  fitted  for  stud  service  the  following  February. 
At  the  same  time  the  young  mares  are  sent  to  the  training- 
stables  and  made  ready  to  race  in  the  spring. 

On  each  of  the  four  big  (jovernment  stud  farms  there 
is  a  regularly  equipped  race-track  with  stables.  Mezo- 
hegyes  has  two,  one  for  running,  one  for  trotting.  Babolna 
and  Kisber  have  one  each,  for  running  races.  Fogaras  has 
one  for  trotting. 

Having  been  trained  from  October  to  May.  the  young 
mares  are  all  raced,  and  raced  for  all  they  are  worth. 

The  running  races  are  not  sprints  ;  thev  are  all  for  3000 
metres  {V4,  miles),  and  with  (iO  to  fi;^  kilos  (120  to  126 
pounds)  on  the  l^acks  of  animals  racing.  Mares  that  can 
carry  the  weight  and  do  one  mile  and  seven  furlongs  in 
about  3  m.  50  sec.  are  sent  to  the  stud  when  the  racing  is 
over.  Those  that  do  not  come  up  to  the  standard,  for  any 
reason,  are  sent  to  the  Budapest  Tattersalls  in  October  and 
sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  Fven  those  so  disposed  of  are 
not  very  l)ad  horses.  Twenty  head  from  Kisl)er,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1910,  az'cragcd  2380  kronen  (.^-176)  for  the  lot,  and  one 
brought  4300  kronen  ($860).  Those  being  prepared  at 
Babolna  and  Kisber  for  the  sale  of  1011  are  a  lot  of  voung 
animals  hard  to  excel  anywhere. 

At  Babolna  in  1911  there  were  26  mares  raced.  A  lit- 
tle chestnut  named  Sherifa,  a  pure  Arab,  not  mcire  than 
143/S  hands  high,  won  nine  races,  was  never  beaten,  and 
did  the  distance  O^^  miles)  under  full  weight  in  3  m.  38 
sec.  Sherifa  icill  not  be  sold  in  October.  She  has  l)een 
bred,  and  is  expected  to  produce  a  foal  in  1912. 

The  trotting  races  at  Mezohegyes  and  Fogaras  are 
equally  severe.  The  mares  are  raced,  not  in  pneumatic 
tyred  sulkies.  l)ut  in  substantial  carts,  for  20  kilometres 
(12^/,  miles).  If  they  cannot  do  the  trick  in  an  liour  they 
go   to   the   auction   sales.     If  they   can   trot   12^,    miles   in 


[  65    ] 


SHERIFA.     Pure  Arab.     Unbeaten  winner  of.)  races,  in  ]'.)11 


about  54  minutes  they  go  into  the  .stud.  Count  S/.apary 
was  inclined  to  apologize  for  the  trotting  records,  because 
the  tracks  are  so  heavy.  As  he  put  it.  that  at  Mezohegyes 
is  sometimes  muddy.  No  one  wmdd  need  to  apologize  for 
the  pair  of  half-bred  Arab  mares  that  took  the  writer  and 
two  other  heavy  men  from  Babolna  to  Kisber,  in  a  four- 
wheeled  trap  that  must  have  weighed  500  pounds,  never 
broke  their  trot  the  whole  way,  and  covered  the  distance, 
about  11  miles,  in  1  h.  10  m. 

Besides  racing  on  the  flat,  as  above  described,  a  cer- 
tain number  of  mares — also  of  young  stallions — whose  con- 
formation indicates  they  might  make  hunters,  are  tried  in 
that  line.  They  are  sent  to  the  headquarters  of  cavalry 
regiments  stationed  near  established  hunt  clubs,  and  the 
officers  ride  them  in  the  hunting  field. 

A  careful  record  is  kept  of  each  animal's  performance, 
and  the  record,  signed  by  the  Master  of  the  Hunt,  is  filed 
in  the  Agricultural  Department  Bureau  in  Budapest.  A 
statement  is  given  of  the  performance  of  the  animal  in  each 


[    66    ] 

run,  how  many  jumps  were  made  and  of  what  kind,  how 
the  jumps  were  negotiated,  how  well  the  animal  could  keep 
up  with  the  field,  condition  after  the  run,  how  good  a  feeder 
he  or  she  was,  and  every  other  detail  that  could  impart  in- 
formation. If  the  report  is  satisfactory  the  young  stallion 
goes  to  the  stallion  station  in  the  fall,  the  young  mare  to 
the  breeding  stud  next  spring.  If  unsatisfactory,  the  stal- 
lion is  gelded  and  sold,  the  mare  sent  to  the  auction  in  the 
usual  manner. 

Further,  sales  of  certain  animals  are  made  by  auction 
at  the  breeding-studs,  animals  that  it  would  not  pay  to  sena 
to  Budapest.  \\'ith  the  constant  stream  of  young  mares 
coming  into  the  stud,  the  older  ones  have  to  move  out.  At 
the  stud-farm  auctions,  the  first  day  is  devoted  to  selling 
the  old  brood-mares.  They  are  generally  in  foal  to  one  of 
the  good  stallions  on  the  farm,  and  no  one  but  a  Hungarian 
is  allowed  to  bid  on  the  first  day.  This  keeps  the  mares  of 
good  blood,  carrying  foals  of  good  blood,  in  tJic  country. 
It  also  allows  private  breeders  to  secure  the  choicest  blood 
at  very  low  prices.  If  any  mare  is  not  bought  that  first 
day,  she  goes  into  the  open  auction  next  day,  with  the  com- 
mon herd,  and  is  sold  for  what  she  will  bring,  to  anyone 
who  wants  her. 

Another  feature  of  the  Hungarian  system  is  worthy  of 
note.  No  animal  is  allowed  to  be  idle.  All  are  broken  to 
saddle,  all  mares  are  broken  to  harness.  If  a  mare  in  the 
stud  fails,  for  any  reason,  to  produce  a  foal  in  any  given 
year,  she  is  bred  again,  and  put  to  work  while  carrying  her 
foal.  If  she  proves  a  persistent  non-breeder,  she  is  sold  at 
auction,  at  lUulaj^est  if  sufficiently  attractive,  at  the  farm 
sale  if  not  thought  worth  the  expense  of  taking  to  the 
capital. 

There  is  no  nonsense  about  these  Hungarian  breeders, 
no  sentiment,  no  guess  work.  The  best  is  none  too  good, 
they  make  use  of  means  to  find  what  are  the  best,  every- 
thing else  goes  into  the  discard. 


[    67    ] 

Mention  has  been  made  of  large  purchases  by  the  Gov- 
ernment of  yearling-  and  other  young"  stock  from  private 
breeders. 

Up  to  1902,  lliese  all  went  to  Alezohegyes.  In  that 
year  it  became  apparent  tlieir  presence  was  interfering 
with  the  normal  workings  of  that  stud — the  greatest  in  the 
world — and  the  Palanka  State  Colt  Farm  was  built,  with 
accommodations  for  1,000  \-earlings.  Colts  now  remain 
there  till  three  years  old,  then  are  tried  out  as  above  de- 
scribed, the  best  (Mies  go  to  Mezohegyes  or  one  of  the  State 
or  communal  stallion  stations,  such  as  are  not  considered 
good  enough  for  tliat  use  are  gelded,  and  sold  to  the  army 
remount  de])artment  or  otherwise  disposed  of. 

The  reader  must  agree  that  the  system  of  the  Hunga- 
rian Government  is  most  thorough  and  scientific  in  its 
Horse  Breeding  department.  A  glance  at  the  results  by 
visiting-  the  great  stud  farms  will  emphasize  the  impression. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Hungarian  Government  Studs, 
Mezohegyes. 

For  a  hundred  and  fifty  years,  Hungary  has  enjoyed  a 
world-wide  reputation  for  the  character  of  its  horses. 
Near  the  end  of  the  XVIII  century,  however,  its  standing 
in  that  respect  suffered  somewhat,  l)ecause  of  the  drain  put 
upon  its  horse  supply  by  the  long"  wars  in  the  reign  of 
Maria  Theresa. 

That  enlightened  sovereign  recognized  the  changed 
conditions,  and  as  soon  as  peace  was  once  more  established, 
she  caused  attention  to  be  paid  to  a  subject  of  such  im- 
portance to  her  military  equipment.  Her  successor,  tlie 
Emperor  Joseph,  fully  coincided  with  the  views  of  his 
mother,  and  extended  the  work  so  well  begun  by  her. 

The  most  important  step  taken  was  the  establishment 
of  the  great  stud  of  Mezohegyes,  A.  D.  1785.  This  stud  is 
not  only  the  oldest,  it  is  the  largest  in  Hungary,  perhaps  in 
the  world.  The  development  of  the  stud  will  be  best 
understood  by  calling  to  mind,  somewhat,  the  history  of 
certain  changes  in  the  political  history  of  the  country  itself, 
\'\hich  have  afifected  indirectly  the  stud  of  Mezohegyes,  in 
C(Mnmon  with  all  other  events  in  Hungary.  The  present 
Emperor,  Francis  Joseph  I,  is  the  fifth  of  the  Flapsburg- 
Lothringen  dynasty,  his  ancestor,  Joseph  II,  was  the  first. 
In  1848,  Ferdinand  V,  who  had  promulgated  laws  which 
guaranteed  to  Hungary  its  ancient  constitutional  rights, 
led  away  by  reactionaries,  attempted  to  revoke  those  laws. 
Louis  Kossuth,  one  of  the  originators  of  liberal  reforms, 
sounded  the  signal  for  resistance.  Thousands  of  the 
houveds   (home  guards  of  the  Fatherland)    flocked    to    his 

[    68    ] 


[    69   ] 

standard,  and,  in  the  civil  war  which  ensued,  covered  them- 
selves with  glory.  In  spite,  however,  of  gallant  struggles 
and  main-  \ictories,  the  Austrian  Emperor  received  the  as- 
sistance of  Russia  at  a  critical  moment,  and  crushed  the 
patriot  host,  already  exhausted  by  their  struggle.  In  re- 
prisal for  their  gallant  resistance,  most  cruel  treatment  was 
dealt  out.  Six  Hungarian  generals  were  shot,  eight  others 
were  hanged,  and  properties  of  great  value  were  confiscat- 
ed. Among  those  shot,  and  his  property  appropriated  by 
the  victor,  was  Count  Battyanye.  His  magnificent  estate 
Kisber  was  taken,  and  con\'erted  into  a  breeding  stud, 
which  it  still  continues  to  be.  Later  on,  in  18()6,  when  Aus- 
tria was  hard  pressed  l)y  Prussia,  and  the  (iermans  were  at 
Presburg,  a  single  day's  march  from  Vienna,  the  Hunga- 
rians again  came  into  their  own.  'I^he  price  they  demand- 
ed of  Austria  was  the  acceptance  (if  the  constitutional  pro- 
gramme drawn  by  Francis  Deak.  The  critical  situation 
was  appreciated  by  Francis  Joseph,  and  he  signed  the  docu- 
ment, wliich  eliminated  the  danger  of  Hungarian  opposi- 
tion. Having  been  an  Austrian  pr(  \ince  since  1848, 
though  never  resigned  to  incorporation  with  that  country, 
and  ofifering  steady  resistance  to  tyranny,  in  1867  Hungary 
attained  Home  Rule.  Its  union  with  Austria  is,  since  that 
time,  solelv  in  the  possession  of  a  common  ruler,  and  con- 
tributing its  share  to  the  common  defence.  Hungary  sup- 
plies 67,000  men  to  the  army,  and  insists  on  recognition  of 
its  equality  wnth  the  remainder  of  the  Empire,  which  is  now 
Austro-Hungary. 

At  the  time  of  this  great  change,  all  confiscated  prop- 
erties were  returned  to  Hungary,  among  them  the  Kisber 
estate  of  Count  Battyanye.  While  continuing  it  as  a  Gov- 
ernment breeding  stud  the  Hungarian  Government  recog- 
nized the  rights  of  its  original  owners,  and  paid  to  the  son 
of  the  hero  whose  life  was  the  price  paid  for  his  patriotism, 
the  sum  of  1,500,000  kronen. 

Bearing  in  mind  this  short  resume  of  Hungarian  his- 
tory, we  are  in  better  position  to  examine  the  workings  of 


[   70   ] 

the  four  great  studs,  Mezohegyes,  Babolna,  Kisber  and 
Fogaras.  Taking  them  in  the  order  of  their  age,  the  first 
to  demand  attention  is  Alezohegyes. 

Its  history  is  divided  l)y  the  Hungarian  Government 
into  four  periods.  The  first  covers  the  years  A.  D.  1786  to 
A.  D.  1791. 

In  1785  the  first  purchases  were  made  for  the  stud  of 
Mezohegyes,  Captain  Czekonics  and  Veterinary  Surgeon 
Szotti  bought  fifty-six  Hungarian  mares  and  brought  them 
from  Bukovine.  To  these  were  added  172  Turkish  mares 
and  148  Holstein  mares  bought  by  Szotti  alone. 

The  next  year  Commandant  Cavalar  secured  177  more 
mares  in  Moldavia.  I^^rom  this  accumulation  of  553  mares, 
362  were  selected  as  fit  for  the  stud.  Nine  Hungarians,  126 
Moldavian,  and  79  Turkish  were  allowed  to  breed  promis- 
cuously in  a  semi-wild  state,  the  148  Holstein  mares  were 
bred  to  selected  sires.  This  was  the  foundation  of  the 
mares  in  this  stud. 

Of  the  194  stallions  used  during  the  first  period,  22 
were  taken  from  the  young  stock  bred  on  the  farm. 
Besides  these  there  were  1  English  horse,  2  Barbs,  4  Tran- 
sylvanian,  1  Polish,  4  Lippizan,  1  Mechlenburg,  1  Neapoli- 
tan, and  6  Spanish  horses.  In  addition  to  the  above,  90 
other  stallions  were  distributed  through  the  country,  60  in 
Hungary  proper,  30  in  Transylvania.  One  hundred  and 
ninety-one  (191)  mares  and  82  stallions  were  sold,  or  given 
away  to  the  farmers  of  the  country. 

During  the  Turkish  wars  soon  afterwards,  Mezohegyes 
responded  promptly  to  the  call  for  cavalry  horses.  Quar- 
termaster General  Czekonitz  was  able  to  send  them  in 
great  l^ands  from  Mezohegyes,  and  concentrate  them  on  the 
Lower  Danube. 

In  1788,  ten  more  Hungarian  mares  were  taken  into  the 
stud,  making  a  total  of  558.  In  1789  the  entire  number  of 
mares  was  brought  up  to  684.  by  adding  126  more  from 
Moldavia, 


[    73    J 

At  the  beginning  of  the  second  epoch  more  method  was 
introduced  into  the  workings  of  the  stud.  Alares  were 
classified: 

(a)  The  heavy  breeds  of  mares,  such  as  came  from 
Germany,  were  bred  to  stallions  selected  by  the  manage- 
ment. 

(b)  The  half  wild  part  of  the  stud  was  divided  into 
six  classes,  according  to  colors,  but  still  permitted  to  breed 
an  naturel. 

In  17i)2  there  were  added  208  more  mares  from  animals 
of  the  army  reserve,  and  243  young  mares  that  had  been 
bred  in  the  stud.  These  were  then  redivided  into  eight 
classes.  In  1803,  16  Spanish  stallions  having  been  bought 
for  Babolna,  444  of  the  mares  from  Mezohegyes  were  sent 
to  that  stud  in  the  next  three  years  to  be  bred  to  them. 
By  the  end  of  1810  there  were  4,142  mares  at  Mezohegyes. 
This  necessitated  still  further  sub-division,  and  at  that  time 
was  begun  the  first  branding  of  colts,  to  distinguish  them 
from  one  another  according  to  their  breeding. 

During  this  second  epoch  no  less  than  703  stallions 
were  used,  423  of  them  bred  at  Mezohegyes,  184  bought 
outside,  96  from  other  Government  studs,  and  10  captured 
in  war. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  period  there  occurred  an  inci- 
dent which  is  considered  most  important.  Ten  stallions 
came  to  Mezohegyes  from  the  Rossieri  stud.  Among  them 
was  one  named  Nonius,  his  sire  the  English  Thoroughbred 
Orion,  his  dam  a  big  and  strong  Norman  mare.  He  was  a 
bright  bay,  foaled  in  1810,  171  c.  m.  high  (16  h.  3^4  in.). 
He  was  the  founder  of  the  Nonius  race  of  horses,  so  greatly 
esteemed  even  to-day.  For  22  years  he  was  used  in  the 
stud,  dying  at  the  age  of  28.  From  1817  to  the  end  of  the 
year  1895,  the  descendants  of  Nonius  numbered  3,033  stal- 
lions and  3,349  mares. 


[    74    ] 

During-  this  period  still  further  work  was  done  at 
Mezohegyes  in  the  direction  of  choosing  the  best  among 
the  range  mares,  as  well  as  those  whose  breeding  had  been 
regulated  by  selection  of  sires  and  dams.  To  further  im- 
prove the  stock  6  Arab  stallions  were  brought  there  in  1825, 
and  -i  more  in  182(i. 

In  1820  a  numl)er  of  the  1)est  mares  of  Mezohegyes 
were  sent  to  Babolna  to  be  mated  with  the  Arab  stallion 
(lidran.  located  at  that  stud.  He  was  of  pure  Arab  blood, 
the  family  of  Seglawi  Jedran.  a  brown  horse  155  c.  m.  (15  h. 
1  in.)  high.  One  of  these  mares  foaled  at  Mezohegyes  the 
stallion  Gidran  I,  the  founder  of  the  Gidran  family  at 
Mezohegyes,  as  Nonius  was  founder  of  the  family  of  that 
name.  Descendants  of  these  horses  keep  the  family  names, 
and  the  blood  is  continually  being  strengthened  in  the  same 
way  the  race  was  hrst  created — English  Thoroughbred  and 
I'^rench  Coach  blood  added  to  the  Nonius,  Arab  and  Eng- 
lish Thoroughbred  to  the  Gidrans,  w^hile  still  retaining 
direct  lines  to  the  founders  of  the  families.  Nonius  and 
Gidran  I. 

In  1888  a  specially  selected  lot  of  chestnut  mares  was 
set  apart,  and  became  the  foundation  of  the  present 
Gidrans.  who  are  all  chestnut. 

In  1811  the  luiglish  Thoroughbred  Furioso,  a  cherry 
bay,  16  h.,  2>^  inch.,  came  to  the  stud,  ancestor  of  the  many 
one-half  breds  still  bearing  his  name.  He  was  bred  by 
Count  Georges  Karolyi,  and  was  by  Privateer,  his  dam  by 
\\'haIel)one. 

In  1885  the  serious  effort  was  made  to  remove  the 
faults  produced  by  early  promiscuous  breeding,  by  cross- 
ing all  kinds  of  jmares  whose  quality  made  them  sufficiently 
good  to  keep  in  the  stud,  with  pure  bred  stallions,  in  this 
way  to  raise  the  quality  of  the  entire  lot.  In  that  year  was 
made  the  most  important  addition  of  English  Thorough- 
bred stallions. 


[    77    ] 

In  1856,  three  .Vral)  stallions  and  one  Persian  were 
brought  to  Mezohegyes,  all  bought  in  Arabia.  The  best  of 
these  was  the  Arab  stallion  Hami. 

In  1862  the  Nonius  family  was  strengthened  by  adding 
two  more  English  Thoroughbreds,  Chief  Justice  and  his 
son.  Chieftain. 

In  1863  a  department  for  English  Thoroughbreds  was 
started  at  Mezohegyes  by  bringing  mares  from  Kisber, 
later  by  keeping  all  its  own  young  mares.  By  the  year 
1867  the  Thoroughbred  l)ranch  at  ^lezohegyes  had  27 
mares  in  the  stud. 

At  this  point  the  report  from  wliicli  the  aljove  facts 
have  been  taken,  says : 

"At  last  came  the  year  186!).  which  should  be  written 
"in  letters  of  gold  in  the  history  of  Mezohegyes.  It  was 
"then  that  the  Hungarian  Government  received  back  all  its 
"breeding  studs  and  stallion  dei)Ots,  and  placed  them  again 
"under  its  own  management  b\-  the  breeding  bureau  of  the 
"Ministrv  of  Agriculture." 

The  reader  will  remember  that  this  was  the  time  when 
the  acceptance  of  the  constitutional  agreement  drawn  by 
Francis  Deak  was  forced  on  the  Austrian  Emperor,  and 
Hungary  became  once  more  a  nation,  no  longer  a  province 
of  Austria. 

The  first  Director  under  the  new  regime  of  the  Hun- 
garian breeding  studs  was  Francois  Kozma  of  Leveld.  He 
died  in  181)5,  and  to  him  the  country  owes  a  great  debt  for 
his  intelligent  administration  of  his  department. 

In  1870  it  was  decided  to  discontinue  the  breeding  of 
English  Thoroughbreds  at  Mezohegyes.  The  best  of  them 
were  transferred  to  Kisber,  the  less  desirable  were  sold. 
The  climate  of  Mezohegyes  was  too  trying  for  the  proper 
development  of  Thoroughbreds. 

It  seemed  best  to  replace  them  with  smaller  horses, 
better  adapted  to  rough  hill  country  work.  It  was  then 
that  10  Lippizan  stallions  and  33  broodmares  of  the  same 
breed  were    added.     Twenty-one    of    them    were    bred    at 


[   78    ] 

Mezohegyes,  the  small  offsprinc;  of  Conversano,  Favory, 
Maestro,  Severiis.  vShagya  and  Siglavy,  besides  three  other 
stallions  and  nine  mares  from  Lippiza  near  Triest.  Alto- 
gether these  Lippizans  numbered  69  in  1874.  In  that  year 
all  Lippizans  were  transferred  to  Fogaras,  where  from  that 
time  the  breeding  of  these  Ikm'scs  has  been  concentrated. 

At  the  same  time  the  breeding  of  the  Arabs  was  con- 
centrated at  Babolna.  15  Arab  mares  transferred  from 
Mezohegyes  to  that  stud,  and  115  thought  not  good  enough 
for  Babolna  were  sold. 

This  rather  lengthy  account  of  the  growth  of  Mezoheg- 
yes has  seemed  necessary  in  order  that  we  might  become 
familiar  with  the  scheme  which  has  led  up  to  present  con- 
ditions, as  well  as  the  circumstances  from  which  those  con- 
ditions have  developed.  Mezohegyes  to-day  may  be  con- 
sidered in  a  sense  as  the  great  horse  factor}^  of  Hungary, 
where  horses  are  produced  wholesale  for  the  uses  of  the 
Government.  Its  specialties  are  Nonius  horses  of  two 
kinds.  Tirand  Nonius,  the  original  ty])e,  a  cross  of  English 
Thoroughbred  and  French  Coach,  and  a  modification  of  the 
original,  a  smaller  horse,  called  Little  Nonius,  cross  of  Eng- 
lish Thoroughl)red  and  Hackney.  Both  Nonius  types  are 
for  harness  use.  The  saddle  horses  bred  at  Mezohegyes 
are  the  Gidrans.  chestnut  colored  horses,  a  cross  of  Arab 
and  English  Thoroughbreds,  whose  elements  and  develop- 
ment we  already  know. 

In  1911  there  are  500  mares  at  Mezohegyes,  and  80% 
of  them  produced  foals  this  year,  a  total  of  400  foals. 

Its  stallions  are  6  English  Thoroughbreds,  3  Gidrans, 
6  Nonius,  4  half-bred  English. 

The  sources  whence  Mezohegyes,  or  any  other  stud  in 
Hungary  must  draw  foundation  stock  for  fresh  infusions  of 
l)ure  blood,  are  Babolna  for  Arabs,  Kisber  for  English 
Thoroughbreds,  Fogaras  for  Lippizans. 

As  we  investigate  more  deeply  into  the  methods  of 
these  intelligent  horse  breeders,  our  appreciation  of  their 
cleverness  must  strenirthen. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Hungarian  Government  Studs 
Babolna. 

In  1789,  at  the  same  time  that  the  i^reat  breeding-  stud 
at  Mezohegyes  was  established.  Emperor  Joseph  II  also 
bong-ht,  from  Count  Joseph  Szapary,  the  estate  of  Babolna 
for  450,000  florins  in  gold.  It  comprises  about  8,000  acres, 
and  possession  was  given  in  ITHO.  From  that  time  until 
1806,  Babolna  was  used  as  a  place  for  the  overflow  stock  of 
Mezohegyes.     In  that  year  it  became  an  independent  stud. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  spots  in  the  world  for 
the  lover  of  horses.  Here  are  bred,  on  a  scale  not  attcm])t- 
ed  elsewhere,  the  most  ancient  and  highest  ty])e  of  all 
horses,  pure  Arabs.  For  more  than  a  century,  since  the 
very  beginning,  the  specialty  of  Babolna  has  been  Arabian 
horses,  pure  bred  and  half-bred.  This  is  fully  set  out  in  the 
report  of  the  Hungarian  Department  of  x\griculture  giving 
the  histor}^  of  its  horse-breeding,  as  follows: 

"The  original  purpose  for  which  the  stud  of  Ijabolna 
"was  established,  was  that  it  might  breed  foundation  ani- 
"mals  (animaux  rei)r()(lucteurs )  that  could  contribute  a 
"progressive  element  in  raising  the  (|uality  of  its  horses." 

To  acclimatize  oriental  blood  in  Hungary  a  beginning 
was  made  b^'  purchasing  from  private  1)reeders  and  import- 
ers such  stallions  and  mares  of  pure  Arabian  blood  as  could 
be  obtained.  Later,  in  1836,  Commander  Baron  Edourd 
Herbert  was  sent  to  Syria  to  draw  Arabian  horses  from 
original  sources.  He  succeeded  in  getting,  in  the  environs 
of  Aleppo  and  Damascus,  9  Arab  stallions  and  5  Arab 
mares.  xAmong  the  stallions  was  the  famous  horse  Shagya, 
whose  descendants,  up  to  Shagya  XVIII  are  still  in  the 
stud  at  Babolna,  grand  horses,  as  must  be  conceded  on  look- 
ing at  their  pictures,  reproduced  herewith. 

L    79    ] 


[    81    J 


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SHAGYA  XV.,  and  Col.  Fadlallah  el  Hedad 


[    82    ] 


SHAGYA  XVIII. 


KEHEILAN  RASCHID  sire  of  Sherifa,  and  Col.  Fadlallah  el  Hedad 


t   83    ] 


Half-bred  Arab  mares  harnessed  for  drive  to  Kisber  (see  p.  65) 


The  results  of  these  ])urchases  were  so  satisfactory  that 
the  same  officer  was  sent  again  in  1843 — having  risen  to  the 
rank  of  Colonel — to  buy  others.  This  time  he  went  to 
Egypt,  securing"  8  stallions  and  2  mares. 

In  1852  Commandant  Chevalier  Gottschligg  brought 
from  Syria  6  stallions  and  2  mares.  Even  more  important 
were  the  purchases  by  Col.  Rodolphe  Bruderman  in  1856-57. 
He  got  14  stallions  and  32  mares,  which  he  brought,  to 
Babolna.  Besides  these  direct  importations,  the  Hunga- 
rian Government  never  missed  an  opportunity  to  buy  pure 
Arabs  from  private  studs,  and  in  this  way  added  many 
more. 


[    84   ] 

Although,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Anstrians  during  their 
control,  between  1848  and  1866.  did  not  change  the  general 
policy  of  breeding  pursued  at  Babolna  from  the  beginning, 
the  Hungarians  were  not  satisfied  with  conditions  as  they 
found  them  when  the  stud  was  returned  to  them  in  1866. 
Until  1880,  however,  they  allowed  matters  to  take  their 
course.  But  in  January  of  that  year  a  royal  commission 
was  appointed  to  examine  the  stud  in  detail,  make  report 
of  their  findings,  and  recommend  changes  that  should  be 
made. 

The  committee  consisted  of  Baron  W^inkheim  Bela. 
Chairman,  and  Barons  Szapary  Ivan,  Jankovics  Jozsef  and 
Festetics  Geza.  witii  Heern  Kozma  Ferenez  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  as  Clerk. 

It  was  decided  to  eliminate  from  the  stud  all  that  were 
not  Arabs,  and  all  not  of  first  .class  for  breeding.  \\' ith  the 
choicest  of  those  remaining,  they  commenced  breeding 
again  on  the  old  lines,  and  have  so  continued  to  the  present. 

The  complete  list  of  the  stallions  used  in  the  stud  since 
1870  may  be  found  in  the  report  of  the  Agricultural  Depart- 
ment for  1896.  Prominent  among  them  we  notice  the 
names  of  Shagya  and  his  many  descendants,  of  O'Bajun, 
Seklavy  Jedran,  Amurath,  Anaza.  Mehemet  Ali  was  in  the 
stud  for  eight  years,  and  his  blood  is  considered  of  the 
choicest.  His  picture,  with  that  of  Eldemi,  also  of  Jussuf, 
hang  on  the  walls  of  the  Breeding  Bureau  of  the  Depart- 
ment in  Budapest,  and  are  reproduced  herewith.  They, 
with  the  pictures  of  Shagya  and  his  descendants,  represent 
the  highest  type  of  refinement,  with  enormous  bone,  that 
one  could  ask  for  in  horses. 

Mehemet  Ali  was  a  chestnut  horse  foaled  in  1868,  his 
sire  Mahmed  Mirza  (imported  from  Arabia  in  18(i()),  his 
dam  104  Korcishan,  a  pure  bred  mare  foaled  at  Babolna. 

Yussuf,  another  son  of  Mahmed  Mirza,  was  a  bay,  his 
dam  113  Aghil  Azha,  a  daughter  of  Aghil  Azha,    the    best 


[    8«    ] 

horse  Major  Bruderman  secured  in  his  1856-57  expedition 
to  Arabia.  Yussuf  won  the  gold  medal  at  the  International 
Horse  Show  at  Paris  in  1878.  Mr.  Oscar  de  Nemeshegyes, 
of  the  Hungarian  Horse  Breeding  Department,  considers 
him  to  have  been  one  of  the  best  horses  ever  at  I'abolna. 

By  the  end  of  1895  the  stud  was  not  only  rich  in  pure 
bred  Arab  stallions,  its  Arab    mares    num1)ered    150.     The 
number  varies  from  time  to  time.     The  list  for  1911  is : 
12  pure  bred  Arab  stallions. 
6  half-bred  Arab  stallions. 
53  pure  bred  Arab  mares. 

128  half-bred  Arab  mares. 

Of  such  splendid  type  are  these  half-breds,  it  is  impos- 
sible even  for  a  connoisseur  to  distinguish  them  from  pure- 
breds.  There  is,  however,  no  chance  for  mistakes.  All  are 
branded,  yet  so  marked  as  not  to  blemish  them.  Fifteen 
days  before  foals  are  weaned,  which  occurs  when  they  are 
five   months  of  age,    ihe  brand  is  put  on  the  young 

animal's  back,  near  the  back-  ^^  bone  and  behind  the 
withers,  at  a  point  where  the  P  mark  will  be  covered 
by  the   saddle    when   the  horse  is  mature.     The  pure 

breds  have   the  on  one  side,    the    half  breds  on  the 

opposite  side,  so  ^^  there  need  never  be  any  mistak- 
ing one  for  the  P^  other.  On  the  side  opposite  to  the 
mark  shown,   is  branded  the  last  two  figures  of  the 

year  of  birth,  and  the  foal's  number  in  the  stud  book. 

It  would  seem  that  this  short  pain  is  the  only  moment 
of  an  animal's  life  at  Babolna  when  it  is  not  happy.  The. 
entire  atmosphere  of  the  place  is  most  agreeable.  There 
are  no  squealing  stallions,  or  ugly  animals  of  either  sex. 
All  seem  contented,  friendly,  and  unafraid. 

The  present  Commandant  at  Babolna  is  an  old  Bed- 
ouin Arab,  Colonel  Michael  Fadlalleh  el  Hedad,  reared 
from  youth  and  educated  in  Hungary.  During  two  periods, 
one  of  12  the  other  of  13  years.  El  Hedad  has  directed  the 
destinies  and  policy  of  the  stud,  besides  the  time  he  has 
spent  in  the  Desert  procuring  fresh  Arab  blood. 


[    87    ] 


SEGLAWY  BAGDADI 


It  was  most  intercstini^-  when  goinj^-  into  a  stable  where 
12  stallions  were  in  two  rows  of  boxes,  to  see  tlie  immed- 
iate attention  each  i^aNe  wlien  the  old  Colonel's  voice  was 
heard.  A  whinnv  at  the  far  end !  "Sergeant !  Open  Seg- 
lawy's  door!"  said  the  Colonel.  Ont  bounded  a  beautiful 
white  stallion,  without  a  strap  on  him,  and  galloped  the 
length  of  the  stable  direct  to  the  Commandment,  who  re- 
warded him  with  a  lump  of  sugar.  "Now,  sir,  go  back  to 
your  box  !"  with  a  gentle  tap  of  the  Colonel's  cane,  and  back 
he   went. 

In  another  stable  were  2-i  young-  stallions,  3  and  4  years 
old,  tied  in  a  row,  nothing  between  them  but  a  swinging 
rail,  yet  no  inclination  among  any  of  them  to  be  disagree- 
able. 


[   88   ] 

In  still  another  barn  were  60  mares,  tied  in  two  rows, 
30  on  a  side,  nothing  between  the  mares.  When  the  old 
Colonel  walked  in  one  whinnied  for  his  attention,  then 
another,  looking  around  as  he  passed.  Going  along  he 
would  tap  one  on  the  quarter  with  his  cane,  and — "No! 
little  mare.  No  sugar  to-day !"  Another  would  not  be  de- 
nied, and  the  old  Colonel  turns  to  one  of  the  young  officers 
— "Captain!  can't  you  find  one  more  lump?"  Then  he 
would  go  to  the  mare's  iiead,  pat  her  and  give  her  the 
sweet.  It  was  interesting,  at  the  noon  luncheon,  to  see 
these  officers  slip  the  extra  lumps  of  sugar  from  their  cofifee 
saucers  into  their  pockets,  knowing  where  the  sugar  would 
finally  1)e  bestowed. 

In  one  more  stable  were  36  mares  with  their  36  foals, 
all  together.  The  mares  were  tied  to  mangers  at  the  sides, 
the  foals  free  to  go  anywhere  they  chose.  It  was  noon. 
The  long  drought  of  1911  had  burned  up  the  pastures,  and 
all  the  stock  are  brought  in  to  be  fed  in  the  middle  of  the 
day.  The  mares  feed  from  the  long  mangers  at  the  sides. 
In  the  middle  of  the  floor,  which  was  deeply  bedded  in 
straw,  were  half  a  dozen  mangers  on  legs,  low  enough  for 
the  foals  to  be  able  to  feed  from  them,  and  where  oats  were 
put  for  them  to  eat.  The  little  things  wandered  from  one 
box  to  another,  taking  a  few  mouthfuls  wherever  they  liked 
best,  then  going  to  the  mothers  for  a  drink  of  milk,  and 
back  again,  in  this  stable,  and  everywhere  that  one  sees 
young  colts,  was  a  young  donkey,  loose  and  on  good  terms 
with  them  all.  When  the  Colonel  and  his  guests  came  in, 
all  crowded  around  him  so  that  they  had  to  be  pushed 
away,  they  interrupted  progress. 

After  feeding,  the  whole  band  was  turned  out  on  Ha- 
bolna  plain,  under  the  care  of  the  Czikos  (mounted  horse 
herder)  and  his  assistants.  We  met  them  a  mile  or  two 
from  the  stud;  and  when  the  writer  went  among  them  to 
get  a  fotograf  of  a  certain  mare  he  missed  in  the  stable, 
they  crowded  around  him  so  that  his  picture  was  a  failure. 


[   90   ] 

The  entire  aggregation,  the  old  Colonel  and  his  assist- 
ant officers,  the  men  and  boys  in  the  stable  and  on  the  farm, 
180  in  all,  the  horses,  donkeys,  and  even  the  great  long- 
horned  Hungarian  oxen  that  do  the  heavy  work,  the  stables 
the  paddocks,  all  are  most  interesting. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  stallion  Shagya,  and  his 
value  as  a  prepotent  influence  seen  to  the  present  time, 
seventy-live  years  after  he  came  from  Arabia.  It  reminds 
an  American  of  the  influence  of  old  Messenger,  who  came 
from  England  a  few  years  before  Shagya,  especially  the  in- 
fluence transmitted  through  his  son  Ogden's  Messenger. 
In  northern  Averment  and  New  York  the  horsemen  of  a  for- 
mer generation  were  always  on  the  lookout  for  the  "flea 
bitten  greys"  that  were  descendants  of  Ogden's  Messenger. 
They  were  recognized  as  the  do  or  die  kind,  tireless,  tough, 
enduring.  And  so  Shagya.  He  was  a  flea  bitten  grey,  and 
so  are  his  descendants  to  the  5th  and  6th  generation.  The 
specks  on  the  Messengers  were  black,  and  one  sees  them 
sometimes  in  our  own  times.  The  freckles  on  the  Shagyas 
are  cinnamon  colored.  The  mare  whose  portrait  was 
spoiled  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  get  it,  by  the  crowd- 
ing of  colts  outside  the  farm,  as  already  related,  looked  like 
a  white  mare  that  had  been  spattered  with  red  paint  from  a 
brush  struck  across  a  stick.  The  pictures  of  some  of  these 
good  mares  are  shown.  In  one  of  the  young  horses  the 
cinnamon  color  was  concentrated  into  a  patch  on  his 
shoulder.  Another  had  a  great  red  blotch  on  his  quarter, 
besides  the  red  freckles  all  over  their  bodies.  The  writer 
was  reminded  of  that  page  in  the  first  volume  of  Weather- 
by's  Stud  Book,  where  mention  is  made,  among  the 
horses  at  foundation  of  the  English  Thoroughbred  race 
horse,  of  those  two  old  sires,  the  Bloody  Shouldered  Arab- 
ian and  Bloody  Buttocks.  He  wondered  if  they  might  not 
have  been  of  the  same  family  as  old  Shagya  of  Babolna- 


[   92    ] 


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Right  side  of  Shagya  XVIII.,  showing  his  "bloody  flank 


KEHEILAN  III. 


Some  of  the  half-bred  horses  at  Babohia  attain  con- 
siderable size,  without  losing-  the  Arab  conformation. 
Keheilan  III,  a  bay,  is  15.2i/>  inches  high,  and  8/4  inches 
below  the  knee.     O  Bajan  V.  is  16  hands. 


[    94    ] 

Colonel  el  Hedad  was  asked  if  any  breeding"  animals 
were  ever  sold  from  Babolna.  "Oh,  yes  !  We  let  the  Ger- 
"man  Government  have  Had])an  last  year  to  send  to  South- 
"west  Africa ;  and  the  Japanese  took  four  half-breeds  this 
"year." 

When  inquiry  was  made  which  he  liked  better,  the 
large  or  small  horses,  he  exclaimed :  "The  small  ones  every 
"time!" — and  added — "In  one  hundred  big  horses  I  find  it 
"difificult  to  select  ten  good  ones.  In  one  hundred  small 
"horses  one  must  look  hard  to  find  ten  poor  ones." 

The  other  officers  sitting  at  the  mess  when  this  remark 
was  made,  expressed  their  entire  agreement  with  the  old 
Colonel's  sentiments  by  vigorous  nods  of  their  heads. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Hungarian  Government  Studs. 

KiSBER,     FOGARAS. 

As  we  already  know,  when  Count  Battyanye  was  shot 
by  the  Austrians,  his  great  estate  of  Kisber  was  confiscated 
by  the  Imperial  Government.  It  now  covers  a  tract  of 
40,000  acres,  including  the  castle,  town,  and  extensive 
parks,  besides  the  country  specially  devoted  to  the  stud 
farm,  with  its  agricultural  lands,  pastures,  extensive  build- 
ings, and  race  track.     It  was  formerly  much  larger. 

In  1853  the  Kisber  property  became  the  Kisber  Stud, 
specifically  devoted  to  the  breeding  of  English  Thorough- 
bred race  horses.  Its  success  was  immediate,  and  has 
always  continued.  Marshal  Francois  Ritter  was  its  first 
Superintendent.  He  remained  six  years  at  Kisber.  In 
1854  he  bought  17  thoroughbred  stallions  and  mares  in 
England,  in  1860  three  more  stallions,  and  in  1863  the  four 
stallions  Daniel  O'Rourke,  Teddington,  Southerland,  and 
Cedrington. 

It  was  in  1865  that  Kisber  had  its  greatest  bit  of  good 
fortune,  when  Buccaneer  was  bought  from  Lord  Dor- 
chester for  £2600  sterling.  He  was  a  dark  bay  horse, 
foaled  in  1857,  by  Wild  Dayrell,  his  dam  by  Little  Red 
Rover.  In  England  he  ran  19  times,  was  a  winner  11  times 
and  3  times  second.  His  special  success  was  at  short  dis- 
tances. He  was  only  two  years  in  the  stud  in  England, 
but  left  behind  him  excellent  offspring,  such  as  Formosa, 
See  Saw,  Paul  Jones,  and  others. 

At  Kisber,  from  1866  to  and  including  1886,  Buccaneer 
was  used  with  261  mares  belonging  to  the  Kisber  stud,  and 
465  belonging  to  private  individuals,  in  the  21  stud  seasons 
of  his  career.  His  fees  for  privately  owned  mares  amounted 
to  184,910  florins  ($92,455).     Nine  of  his  ofifspring  won  the 

[    95    ] 


[   96    ] 

Vienna  Derby,  and  in  1876,  his  celebrated  son  Kisber  won 
both  the  Eng-lish  Derby  and  the  Grand  Prix  at  Paris.  The 
list  of  Bucaneer's  winners  is  a  long  one,  and  their  winnings 
on  the  race  tracks  of  Hungary,  Austria,  England,  France, 
and  Germany  amounted  to  2,409,593  florins  ($1,204,796). 
Add  these  to  lUiccaneer's  stud  fees  and  we  have  the  enor- 
mous sum  of  $1,247,048  to  the  credit  of  this  remarkable 
horse.  After  Kisber  won  the  English  Derby  in  1876,  it  is 
said  that  English  breeders  ofifered  1,000,000  kronen  for 
Buccaneer  ($200,000)  but  were  refused.  On  April  13,  1887, 
Buccaneer,  at  30  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  the  Royal  Veteri- 
nary School  at  Budapest,  and  killed. 

From  1869  the  Kisber  stud  belonged  to  and  was  man- 
aged l)y  the  Hungarian  (lovernment,  as  successors  to  the 
Austrian.  Its  high  standard  has  always  been  maintained, 
its  present  owners  never  having  hesitated  to  pay  any  price 
necessary  to  get  the  l:)cst  that  money  would  buy  in  horse- 
flesh. 

The  list  of  its  purchases  is  too  long  to  be  repeated  here. 
It  would  include  names  known  to  race  horse  breeders  the 
world  over.  .Among  them  are  Cambuscan,  sire  of  the  in- 
vincible Kincsem ;  Vermeuil,  a  great  winner  himself, 
l)ought  at  the  price  of  £7800.  but  turned  over  to  the  half- 
l)red  department  when  his  ofi^spring  proved  a  disappoint- 
ment; Craig-Miller,  winner  of  the  St.  Leger;  Doncaster, 
winner  of  the  English  Derby,  and  many  others  of  like  repu- 
tation. 

The  premier  stallion  at  Kisber  to-day  is  Buona  Vista 
(l)y  Bend  Or,  dam  Vista)  though  two  others  command 
equal  stud  fees,  Adam  (Flying  Fox-Amie)  and  Slieve  Gal- 
lion  (Gallinule-Reclusion)  winner  of  the  English  two 
thousand  guineas.  These  can  be  used  by  outside  owners 
at  fees  of  1,000  kronen  ($200)  each.  Others,  whose  off- 
spring have  not  reached  the  highest  standard  as  race- 
horses, have  fees  from  800  kronen  down  to  200.  These 
horses  attract  half-bred    mares,    whose    owners    could  not 


[    99   ] 

afford  to  pay  for  the  use  of  the  greatest  stallions,  and  all  fit 
in  with   the  l^reeding-  scheme   of    the    Hungarian   Govern- 
ment with  which  we  are  familiar.     In  1911  there  are  at  Kis- 
ber  702  horses.     They  include : 
14  Thoroughbred    stallions, 
20  Thoroughbred  mares, 

200  Half-bred  mares. 

Besides  these  are  206  mares  of  private  owners.  In 
1910  the  stud  boarded,  during  five  months,  247  mares  of 
outside  owners,  sent  for  service  to  its  stallions,  and  in  1911, 
217  such  mares.     Its  stables,  stallion    boxes  and  paddocks 


Stallion  Stables  at  Kisber 


[  100  ] 


Paddocks  and  boxes  of  mares  and  foals,  Kisber 


are  the  last  word  in  all  that  is  excellent.  There  are  no  less 
than  150  separate  boxes  and  paddocks  for  mares  sent  by 
private  owners,  which  are  all  carefully  inspected  and  iso- 
lated when  received,  in  order  that  no  disease  may  be 
brought  into  the  stud. 

The  system  at  Kisber  is  maintained  at  the  same  high 
standard  as  all  the  Hungarian  Horse  Breeding  Department 
establishment,  and  more  cannot  be  said  than  that.  Even 
the  food  eaten  l)y  each  foal  each  day  is  carefully  weighed 
and  recorded.  Continuous  inspection  by  skilled  Veteri- 
naries  attached  to  the  stud  is  a  part  of  the  system. 

Like  Mezohegyes  and  Babolna,  Kisber  raises  all  its 
own  feed,  the  farming  department  being  conducted  by  sci- 
entihcally  trained  agriculturists.  Nothing  is  forgotten, 
nothing  neglected,  and  the  results  are  what  might  be  ex- 
pected. 


[  101  ] 

There     remains     one     more     great     stud      in      TTnn 
gary  that  must    have  our    attention.     In  the    report  of    the 
Minister  of  Agriculture  for  1896  we  read  as  follows: 

"The  Fogaras  Stud  was  started  for  the  purpose  of 
"breeding  a  supply  of  stallions  which  should  be  the  best 
"possible  in  their,  adaptibility  for  use  in  the  mountainous 
"parts  of  the  country,  and  to  preserve,  by  such  renewal  of 
"blood,  the  existing  race  from  degeneration." 

"The  Lippizan  breed  of  horses  from  the  Karst  high- 
"lands  (in  Austria)  being  especially  well  able  to  fill  this 
"need,  all  the  l:)reeding  animals  of  the  Fippizan  family  at 
"Alezohegyes  w^ere  transported  td  h^ogaras.  because  that 
''mountain  bred  famil}-  seemed  in  danger  of  losing  its  most 
'marked  characteristics  under  the  influence  of  the  climate 
"and  pasturage  of  Alfold  (the  great  plain  of  Hungary)." 

Here  is  horse  sense  that  breeders  in  America,  and  else- 
\vhere,  woidd  do  well  to  pcinder.  We  cIkidsc  what  we  want. 
or  think  we  want,  sometimes  ])lacing  tiur  foundaticm  stock 
in  entirely  dififerent  environment  from  that  wdiich  has  made 
it  excellent,  then  wonder  that  we  fail  to  attain  results.  As 
we  see,  the  Hungarians  decided  tliat  Mezoliegyes  was  not 
tile  best  place  for  Arabs,  so  they  were  sent  to  Rabolna.  It 
did  ni)t  suit  English  Thoroughbreds,  and  the}-  went  to  Kis- 
l)er.  Its  le\el  surface  did  not  suppl_\-  what  the  Lii)pizans 
needed,  so  they  were  sent  to  Fogaras,  whose  mountains 
supplied  similar  conditions  to  those  which  in  825  years  had 
made  them  what  they  are  on  the  Karst  highlands. 

Five  Lippizan  stallions.  Favory,  Conversano,  Pluto, 
Neapolitan©,  and  Maestro  were  taken  from  Mezohegyes  in 
July,  ISTf),  and  located  at  Als(S  Szombatfaha.  the  heart  of 
Fogaras.  These  horses  were  the  foundation  of  the  present 
stud,  ^\'ith  the  stallions  went  71  mares,  of  which  10  were 
Arabs,  and  8  Transylvanians.  Resides  these  were  4  hack- 
neys. The  remaining  49  mares  were  all  Lippizans,  di\'ided 
as  folloxA's :  One  by  Cavallero,  12  by  Conversano,  20  by 
Maestro,  2  by  Morello,  2  by  Neapolitano,  2  by  Severno,  8  by 


[  102    ] 

Favory.  With  the  Lippizans  from  this  foundation,  now 
greatly  increased  in  numbers,  it  is  proposed  to  establish 
stallion  depots  for  the  distribution  of  this  breed,  among 
breeders  in  those  parts  of  the  country  especially  adapted  to 
its  development. 

In  1911  Fogaras  stud  has: 

10  Lip])izan  stallions, 
9-t  Lippizan  mares, 
278  head  of  yiTung  Fippizan  stock. 

The  Department  of  Agriculture  states  the  advantages 
of  the  breed  to  be  that  they  will  maintain  the  excellent 
qualities  of  the  present  race  of  mountain  horses,  their 
toughness,  willingness,  good  temper,  soundness,  and  add 
something  to  the  size  of  the  moimtain  ponies,  so  that  they 
may  be  better  adapted  to  a  larger  field  of  general  work,  and 
become  in  an  emergency  a  source  of  supply  for  either  cav- 
alry or  light  harness  use. 

To  this  end,  the  Government  is  now  able  to  send  each 
year  to  the  stallion  stations,  10  or  20  fresh  young  Lippizans 
from  Fogaras.  In  1896  there  were  178  such  stallions  from 
this  stud  in  the  stallion  depots,  most  of  them  in  Transyl- 
vania and  the  neighboring  country.  The  number  is  much 
greater  at  the  present  time.  Resides  these,  Fogaras  sends 
to  the  Budapest  sales  each  autumn  10  to  18  young  mares, 
and  10  to  12  eliminated  from  the  studs  by  the  trials  with 
which  we  are  familiar.  The  system  at  the  stud  develops 
young  stock,  and  proves  their  capacity  for  work,  their  sup- 
pleness, strength  and  endurance.  All  these  ends  are  fos- 
tered by  the  bracing  air  of  their  mountain  home,  where  un- 
broken life  in  the  open  is  maintained  as  far  as  possible,  the 
pure  water  of  its  brooks,  sweet  grasses  of  its  pastures,  per- 
fect ventilation  of  stables,  and  the  actual  work  that  all  the 
animals  are  compelled  to  do.  The  young  stallions  before 
going  into    the    stud,  also    the    young    mares    intended    for 


[   103  i 

breeding,  undergo  systematic  training-.  When  this  is  com- 
plete they  are  tried  out,  the  stallions  in  the  autumn,  the 
mares  in  the  spring,  in  order  that  they  may  render  an  ac- 
count of  their  state  of  health  and  capacity  for  long  and  fast 
races.  The  shortest  trials  are  steeple  chases  of  4  kilo- 
metres (23/  miles).  In  this  stud  the  system  for  weeding 
out  the  unfit  is  the  same  as  in  the  other  three. 


CONCLUSION 


Tile  reader  wlni  has  had  tlic  patience  to  follow  the  de- 
scription of  methods  in  use  by  the  Horsebreeding  Depart- 
ment of  the  Hungarian  Ministry  of  Agriculture  must  have 
been  impressed  bv  its  sagacity  and  thoroughness.  .Nothing 
is  neglected,  nothing  left  to  chance.  These  men  know  what 
they  want  before  they  begin,  and  secure  the  material  to 
produce  desired  results,  wherever  it  can  be  foimd,  whether 
in  Arabia,  or  England,  or  France,  or  anywhere  else. 

They  are  not  afraid  to  try  experiments,  but  experi- 
ments are  recognized  as  such,  and  not  permitted  to  work 
into  the  system  till  their  value  is  proven.  Horses  are 
bought  and  tried.  If  they  do  not  "deliver  the  goods,"  they 
go  into  the  discard,  no  matter  what  they  have  cost,  or  what 
anyone  thought   of  them. 

The  writer  saw  an  illustration  of  similar  treatment  of 
an  experiment  that  had  been  tried  in  Austria,  in  the  Im- 
perial stable.  While  going  through  these  in  Vienna  wath 
Hofsekretar  Siwsa  of  the  Oberstallsmeisteramt,  he  showed 
among  the  Lippizans  a  most  attractive  little  mare.  She 
was  the  result  of  an  experiment  tried  by  one  of  the  Arch- 
dukes, who  thought  to  improve  the  Lippizans  by  breeding 
one  of  the  mares  to  an  English  thoroughbred  stallion.  The 
experiment  was  a  dead  failure,  and  it  caused  a  lot  of  trouble 


[  104  ] 

to  eliminate  all  the  blood  so  added,  from  the  stud.  Though 
beautiful  in  form,  and  having  the  sweet  temper  that  has 
distinguished  the  Lippizans  for  centuries,  the  little  mare 
had  the  staky  trot  of  the  English  Thoroughbred,  the  per- 
fect action  of  the  Lippizans  had  disappeared.  She  is  being 
used  as  a  stable  hack.  She  will  never  be  permitted  to  re- 
produce her  kind. 

Tn  sending  its  stallions  through  the  country,  the  Hun- 
garian Government  does  not  tell  any  man  what  he  shall 
breed,  it  gives  him  the  choice  among  several  types,  putting 
at  his  disposal  a  superior  young  stallion  of  either  type, 
sound,  tried,  and  at  a  price  any  breeder  can  afford  to  pay. 

If  he  breeds  a  poor  foal  it  is  a  loss,  resulting-  from  his 
own  bad  judgment,  probably  caused  by  the  poor  quality  of 
his  mare.  This  he  could  have  avoided  by  purchasing  one 
of  the  Government  mares,  at  one  of  the  "first  day  sales," 
already  descri])ed,  where  such  are  disposed  of  at  auction  to 
Hungarian  breeders  only. 

If  he  breeds  a  good  colt,  the  Government  will  ])ay  him 
a  fair  price  for  it  at  any  age  between  one  and  four  years. 
If  the  foal  is  a  young  stallion,  and  the  man  does  not  want 
to  sell,  the  Government  will  help  him  to  make  the  animal  a 
source  of  revenue,  by  sending  him  to  one  of  the  stallion 
depots  on  an  equal  footing  with  their  own,  returning  him 
with  his  net  income  at  the  end  of  the  season. 

Private  owners  are  not  prevented  from  getting  revenue 
from  their  own  stallions  outside  the  Government  scheme 
of  breeding,  if  they  think  they  can  do  better.  It  is  evident, 
however,  that  such  stallion  must  be  of  superior  quality,  and 
have  proven  his  value,  in  order  that  he  should  be  able  to 
compete  with  the  selected  stallions  the  Government  ofifers 
to  owners  of  mares,  at  the  low  fees  demanded  for  such 
horses,  which  are  i)laced  in  nearly  every  village  and  coun- 
try side. 

h'inally.  the  horses  the  Government  sends  on  the  cir- 
cuit are  well  settled  types,  they  vary  little.  Arabs,  Thor- 
oughbreds,   Lippizans,    can    alwavs   get    fresh    infusions    of 


[  105  ] 

blood  from  original  sources.  The  Nonius  and  Gidrans, 
being,  as  it  were,  made  types,  have  to  be  continually 
strengthened  in  the  same  way  the  type  was  first  produced. 
The  Nonius  family  maintains  the  name  through  direct 
descent  from  its  founder,  but  such  new  infusions  to  Thor- 
oughbreds or  French  blood  are  occasionally  introduced, 
as  seem  necessary  to  maintain  the  type.  So,  too,  the 
Gidrans.  They  get  new  infusions  of  Arab  or  Thorough- 
bred blood,  as  such  seem  to  be  needed.  But  every  new  ad- 
dition is  treated  as  an  experiment  only,  till  fully  tried 
out.  And  if  the  experiment  is  not  successful,  no  senti- 
ment allows  of  its  getting  a  foothold  in  the  breed.  To  the 
auction  they  all  go.  It  is  apparent,  then,  that  this  wise 
(iDvernmental  control  not  onlv  helps  the  private  breeders, 
while  controlling  the  quality  of  the  output,  continually 
leading  to  the  improvement  of  all  the  horses  in  Hungarv. 

Nothing  has  been  said  in  these  pages  of  the  Hunga- 
rian encouragement  of  horse-racing,  though  this  also  is 
part  of  the  system.  There  is,  indeed,  a  "Kisber  contract," 
which  breeders  of  mares  to  the  ( io\ernmeut  Thoroughbred 
horses  must  subscribe  to,  regulating  the  races  in  which  the 
ofifspring  of  mares  so  bred  shall  run.  Enough  has  been 
said,  however,  to  convince  those  interested  in  the  subject 
that  the  methods  pursued  produce  results.  He  who  is  per- 
mitted to  examine  results  at  tiie  studs,  especially  if  enjoy- 
ing the  privilege  of  the  courteous  explanations  given  the 
writer  by  all  those  in  authority  in  any  position,  must  be 
filled  with  enthusiasm  by  what  he  sees  and  hears. 

At  the  beginning  of  these  papers,  the  writer  placed 
at  the  top  of  the  first  page  the  question: 

What  Horse  for  the  Cavalry? 

He  has  purposely  refrained  from  giving  a  definite  answer 
to  the  query,  leaving  that  omission  to  be  supplied  by  who- 
ever reads  the  story  of  what  was  seen  during  a  most  inter- 
esting journey  of  inspection  and  study. 


[  106  ] 

That  he  certainly  has  an  opinion  as  to  what  the  horse 
should  be,  and  of  the  means  for  securing  a  supply  of  the 
proper  animals  for  the  army  of  the  United  States,  can 
hardly  be  doubted  l)y  those  who  have  read  what  he  has 
written. 


Hungarian  working  oxen  at  Babolna,  taking  noon  rest 


The  End. 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 
Cunrimings  School  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Mts  University 
200  Westboro  Road 
IMorth  Grafton,  MA  01 536 


^  y  \^  u^^.<^€ 


